Closing Walls and Ticking Clocks
by Mischief Maintained
Summary: The war is lost. The future is Voldemort's. There are no more options.  And only the past remains. A Marauder-Era Fic. GW/SB. HG/RL. JP/LE.
1. Times Like These, Times Like Those

**Disclaimer:** Anything that you recognize from the Harry Potter books is not mine - it belongs to J.K. Rowling, the brilliant mastermind behind all of the Harry Potter books.

* * *

Chapter One

Times Like These, Times Like Those

_"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring his body as proof that your hero is gone."_

Hermione Granger bit her lip to hold back the sobs that Voldemort's words meant to provoke. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of witnessing her pain and torment. She owed it to Harry to defy him until the end. Her sorrowful eyes turned to those around her, landing on the girl to her right. She looked as though the world had ended. Hermione reached down and squeezed her hand, hoping to comfort her. Because in many ways, Ginny Weasley's world had indeed ended.

_"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle, now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live, and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."_

The grounds went completely still, silent but for the sobs of Hagrid, who cradled Harry's limp body in his massive arms. He rocked the boy like a baby, but instead of willing for the boy to sleep he whispered and pleaded for him to wake. Harry did no such thing.

"No," a firm voice said from her left. The entire contents of the gathering turned to stare. Hermione screwed her eyes shut for the slightest of seconds before staring at him. He was so brave, yet foolish. If only he had learned to think before speaking as Hermione had urged him a million times in their Hogwarts days.

"Ronald Weasley, not now! You heard the man," a terrified Molly Weasley warned. She had already lost one son, and it was clear that she was not prepared to lose another, let alone her entire family. She knew it was wrong not to protest, but she couldn't watch her family die before her either. From all she knew of the Dark Lord, he always went through with his threats.

Voldemort laughed eerily, his dark red eyes taking an insane glint. "I knew I could count on a Weasely to volunteer," he said, imitating a schoolteacher. "Oh yes, you filthy little blood traitors will do well as an example. Bring me him," he ordered, "and his family immediately. And bring me his precious mudblood too."

The Death Eaters moved towards them and Hermione sprung into action. "Run," she screamed, tugging Ginny and Ron behind her. They sprinted in the direction of the castle, followed closely. Hermione heard screams and turned to see a pair of burly Death Eaters grabbing Mrs. Weasley by each of her plump arms. She tore her eyes away, knowing it was too late to go back now.

"Hermione, which way?" Ginny gasped. Hermione didn't waste her breath but rather sprinted up the stairs to her left. The other two followed her, their breathing ragged from panic and exertion. They could hear the Death Eaters' pause at the base of the steps, unsure of the direction they went. Hermione continued climbing and winding throughout the halls of the castle, trying her best to avoid the bodies that littered the wreckage.

"Quick, the room of requirements," she instructed, racing down the corridor only to be met by the deeply scarred face of Fenreir Greyback.

"Come to me, my pretty," he called out to her, licking his lips hungrily. "The Dark Lord has promised me you once he's through with you."

"Back off scum," Ron threatened before launching himself at the werewolf. He was quickly pinned to the wall by the much larger man. "Hermione, Ginny, run! Save yourselves!"

Ginny took off, intent on reaching the room and opening it as soon as she could. She knew without it open, they would never escape the Death Eaters. Hermione, however, stood frozen, caught between her own safety and that of her lover. "No," she said darkly, before throwing a curse at the werewolf's back. "Come on Ron, let's go," she called.

Ron scrambled behind her, and the two sprinted to where Ginny stood pacing back and forth. "Come on, come on, work!" she muttered under her breath. She had already paced the correct amount of times, yet the door still was not opening. She was beginning to panic. What if the door didn't appear? What if it had been destroyed during the battle? Despite her frantic thoughts, she continued pacing, concentrating on a safe place from which she would have the resources to save her family and friends.

The door suddenly appeared, although something was different. Ginny couldn't quite place it, but knew not to linger. She climbed through quickly, beckoning for Hermione and Ron to follow. Ron, however, did not follow, and stood a few feet away staring out the window. Hermione approached him carefully, and tugged on his arm.

"I can't, Hermione," he said, a pained expression on his face. "I got us all into this bloody mess and I'll get us out of it."

"Don't you see, Ron? This _is_ our way out."

Ron shook his head. "What about everyone else? Are we just supposed to abandon them and never look back? This is all my fault, if I had just kept my damn mouth shut then we'd all be all right."

"Ron, it's too late now, come on!"

"No, I've got to save them, Hermione. I'm a Gryffindor, not a bloody Slytherin, and I refuse to hide here in safety while innocent people die because of me."

A high-pitched cackle interrupted their argument, and the pair spun around. Before them stood Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Poor little baby," she mocked gleefully, stepping forward to pinch Ron's cheeks painfully. "It's too late for them. They're dead, all gloriously, wonderfully, dead."

Ron jerked his head away from her cold hands, her long nails scratching him as he shook her off. "You're a liar," he spat. "They're alive, I know it."

Bellatrix cackled again and turned to Hermione.

"How interesting that a supposedly smart little girl like you would fall for such a fool. I suppose that shows your true intelligence: that of mud. Oh wait, you are mud." Bellatrix laughed cruelly at her own joke. Ron snarled and pointed his wand at her, drawing her attention back to himself. "Now, now, no need to act as a hero. You'll both die, and with you, the Weasley name shall die too. The whole family gone, exterminated, oh yes that is what you deserve, filthy scum! _Avada Kedavra_!"

Ron's eyes went wide as a blinding green flash came from Bellatrix's wand, and he crumpled before them. "Hermione, save them," he mustered, before his eyes glazed over and his heart stopped.

Hermione screamed in shock, causing Bellatrix to smile gleefully. "All dead, all dead!" She sung. "Finally all the filthy Weasley scum are dead!"

"No, they're not," Ginny snarled, coming out from the room. "I'm still here, aren't I?"

Bellatrix grinned and made to speak, but before she could utter a word Ginny killed her.

"Come on," Hermione said softly to the other girl, who had frozen in shock after committing her first murder. "Let's get to safety." Ginny nodded numbly and followed the brunette through the door. Before either had a chance to look around, the room began to spin, the lights flickering on and off, and the temperature changing sporadically.

Ginny sat up with a groan. Her entire body ached. Despite the pain, she twisted around to see the contents of the room. It was entirely empty besides herself and Hermione, who was slumped against the wall sleeping. Ginny shook her friend awake. "Hermione, where are we?"

Hermione surveyed the room and her mouth fell open. "I-I've no clue. Last thing I remember you had just killed Bellatrix Lestrange and we had gone into the room of requirements and it started spinning." Hermione frowned and turned to the other girl. "It's never done that before."

"I've never seen it empty before," Ginny said, her voice masked with confusion.

"Me neither. What did you wish for when you were trying to get it to open?"

"I wished for a place where we could hide out and stay safe. But I also wished that we could go someplace where we could do something to save everyone. That's before I found out that they were dead," Ginny said, her voice cracking at the mention of her family's fate. She began sobbing and Hermione hugged her tightly, tears pouring from her own eyes as well. She had momentarily forgotten about all the deaths and now it hit her just how many were gone forever.

"Ginny, we've got to help them. We can't just sit here crying," she said bravely, and helped the younger girl to stand. "Let's go into the hallway." They grasped their wands, and slowly eased the door open. Moonlight from the window across the way streamed in, illuminating the corridor, which was more or less empty. It was quiet except for the snores of Sir Barnabas the Barmy and his trolls, and was in the same condition as it had been during Hermione's many years at Hogwarts. Nowhere in the hall was evidence that any sort of battle had taken place. Ron and Bellatrix Lestrange's bodies were gone, and any damage appeared to have been repaired.

"This is... odd," Hermione murmured, taking in the sight before her.

"I didn't think the Death Eaters would clean up for awhile, if ever," Ginny said grimly. "I suppose they must have found the cooperation they needed pretty quickly if they had time to fix the place up."

Hermione nodded sadly. She had been hoping to see Ron's body, as much as it pained her, and she knew Ginny had hoped to as well. It would have provided some closure, a last moment of peace with him that they had never gotten. Hermione's heart sank, and she sat numbly against the wall. Ginny joined her, and the two sat in utter silence, just remembering what had passed. They didn't cry; they had already released all their tears while within the room of requirement. They remained frozen and staring for hours, letting the horror of the night sink in.

The moon had been rising when they had first emerged, and now it began to sink, yet Ginny and Hermione still had not moved. It was not until they heard footsteps that they were startled from their grieving, and returned to their minds. It was clearly unsafe for them to have stayed there for so long, and now they were going to pay for their stupidity. They tried to reach the room of requirement, but it was too late. The door did not open, and they were trapped. The footsteps were around the corner, and they tried to run but a barrier appeared between them and their escape.

"Hello."

The two turned to see Albus Dumbledore, dressed in a light blue nightgown, peering over his half-moon glasses at them. They exchanged a glance; what was he doing here? He had died the previous year, they had witnessed his funeral, and Harry had witnessed his death. There was no way he was still alive.

"Professor Dumbledore, what are you doing here? I thought you were, well, you know," Ginny trailed off, looking sad.

"What am I doing here? I believe you should rather explain your reasons for being in my castle," he said, his sharp blue eyes staring intently at them.

"What do you mean, professor? Don't you remember us? Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley?"

Dumbledore looked surprised, and then was struck with a knowing look. "I do not know your names, however I do know a William Weasely. You do resemble him," he said, looking at Ginny thoughtfully.

"William Weasely? That's my grandfather," Ginny said, shocked.

"Interesting," Dumbledore said, before motioning for them to follow him. "I think, perhaps, we should take this conversation somewhere a bit more private."

Ginny looked around the office, and was pleased to see that it was the same way she remembered it. Hermione, too, had a look of recognition, as she surveyed the room. The portraits of the previous headmasters yawned sleepily, looking at them, some with annoyance, others with interest. Various tools and unknown objects sat on shelves, spinning and whirring curiously.

"Please sit," Dumbledore said. The two sat down in the armchairs before his desk, looking at him expectantly. Hermione frowned; Dumbledore looked younger than she had remembered. His face was not nearly as lined, and his hair still had traces of auburn, although it was mostly gray. "Lemon drop?" He offered, and Hermione and Ginny shook their heads, both smiling. "I take it we have met before? Or I suppose after," Dumbledore said with a kind smile.

"Yes, professor, of course we've met before. And what exactly do you mean by after?"

"Ah, yes, you yourselves have not yet figured it out. You see, due to Ms. Weasley's comment earlier, I am quite certain that something rather odd has happened."

"And what is that, sir?" questioned Ginny, wishing he would just say it already.

"What, Ms. Weasley, is today's date?"

Ginny's eyes narrowed. She didn't have time for silly questions, even if he was the greatest wizard ever. She was tired, hungry, and she had lost all that she lived for. She wanted answers now.

"May 2nd, sir," she replied, hoping for an answer immediately.

"Indeed. And what year?"

"1998, sir."

"So it is what I believed," the headmaster said with a smile. He held up a hand to stop Hermione's questioning, providing her with a gentle smile instead. "I shall let you discover it yourselves. Here, read this," he said, handing them a copy of the Daily Prophet.

Hermione and Ginny exchanged a glance, shrugged, and began to read the paper. It was the typical reports of attacks, and misleading information that it had always been. It was not until Hermione read an article on the disappearance of a wizard whom which she'd read about before that she realized something was very wrong. The man, Bartheby Bunt, had been mentioned in a history book. How was it possible that this man's story was being reported in the news, when much more important things had happened, not to mention more recent? Hermione frowned, and looked to the top of the paper at the date. She froze in shock. The paper clearly read May 2nd, 1961.

At last everything was beginning to make sense. The repaired hallway, the mention of Ginny's grandfather, and even Dumbledore's more youthful appearance. Somehow they had travelled back in time.

"Ginny," she said softly, pointing at the date, her hand shaking slightly from shock. The red head looked closer and gasped, her brown eyes wide.

"It is, in fact, the proper date," Dumbledore said gently, cementing the fact that it was not a fake and they truly were in the past. "I believe you have time travelled, although I do not know how."

"Neither do we, sir. One minute we had gone into the room of requirements, and then next thing we know, we woke up in it and it looked odd. It was empty sir, well besides us. And then, when we exited, the hallway was," Hermione paused, looking distant, "well, sir, it was different."

"Hmm, interesting. What happened before you entered the room?"

Dumbledore continued to question the girls for the better part of two hours, and they were beginning to tire. The headmaster had not shared any theories with them, yet, but Hermione was sure that he had some. The man was brilliant, and always seemed to have a sense of what was going on even if he did not know for sure.

Their talking was interrupted when a flash of light appeared from nowhere, and the desk was caught up in flames. "_Aguamenti_," Hermione cried, dowsing the flames with water. The flames continued however, until a loud pop was heard. Out of nowhere, a baby phoenix appeared, and the flames were gone. The desk had sustained no damages, and Dumbledore looked amused at the shock that played through both girls' eyes.

"Good thinking, Ms. Granger, however I assure you that Fawkes' flame will do no harm." Hermione nodded, relieved.

"Professor, what's on his leg?" Ginny asked, looking at the capsule in bewilderment. Dumbledore leaned forward to view the object more closely.

"How odd," he muttered, before removing it. "Please, excuse me for a moment," he said, standing and walking to a shelf behind him.

"What do you think it is?" Ginny asked.

"I've got no idea," Hermione replied, biting her lip. She didn't like not knowing.

Ginny fake gasped, and pretended to look surprised. "Are you saying," she paused, with a small grin to show that she was teasing, "that the smartest witch of our time doesn't know the answer to something?"

Hermione giggled quietly, and smacked her friend's arm lightly. They're conversation halted, though, when Dumbledore returned.

"The container held a letter," he said, waving the parchment carelessly in front of him. "And I believe that it is important for you to know the contents of this letter. It is from myself, oddly enough, and it-"

"Wait, sorry, sir, but from yourself? I don't know how to put this, but in our time you're, well, dead," Ginny said, and then covered her mouth. "Sorry, I don't know if I should have said that, what if it ruins things?"

Dumbledore waved her off. "Don't worry, Ms. Weasley, I will make no effort to stop my future death. As for the matter of a dead man sending me a letter, that I can explain. You see, Fawkes is no ordinary Phoenix. When he burns, he essentially dies. This allows him to interact with those who have passed. Him travelling through time, though, I cannot explain with full certainty." He paused, a twinkle in his eye. It was clear that this topic interested him, but then again, the man was interested in nearly everything. "Fawkes has been at Hogwarts for many years. He originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor, and has been passed through the headmasters for many years. He is, as I mentioned before, not an ordinary phoenix. I believe that perhaps the founders enchanted him to have certain abilities. This is, of course, a theory, so I am not sure."

"Wow," Hermione said in awe. Ginny reached out to stroke the bird's wing, and instead Fawkes climbed into her hand. He had just been reborn, and was the size of her palm.

"It looks as though Fawkes has taken a liking to you," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling once more.

"Professor, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly did the letter say?" asked Hermione curiously. She didn't want to intrude, but she had a feeling the letter contained information about their recent arrival in the past.

"Ah, yes, of course. This note instructed me in what to do upon your arrival. It appears as though you have been sent back for a reason that is unknown to my future self, but he trusts you both with his life, or lack there of," Dumbledore said with a small chuckle. "Although he is not sure of the reason for your excursion, future me believes that you were meant to attend Hogwarts, not now, but in a few years. And for that reason he recommends that you take a de-aging potion so that you may grow up and adjust to this time. It is, unfortunately, unlikely that you will go back, however I shall look into it. Until then, I think it best to follow the instructions within this letter."

The girls sat silently, shocked. They would never return to their world. Their broken, defeated, Voldemort run world. It provided them with both a sense of safety and one of deep sadness. While it had become a hellhole, it was still their only home. Their lives were in the future, not in the past. At least they were safe for the time being, though.

"Sir, do you think perhaps we can have some time to think about this? I'm sorry, but I'm rather overwhelmed."

"Yes, of course, Ms. Granger. Why don't you and Ms. Weasley head down to the kitchens and grab a bite to eat. Afterwards, please return here and I will lead you to some quarters so that you may rest. I would invite you to rest in your previous dorm rooms, however it is the middle of the term and I do not want to make your presence known to my students, nor scare them."

"Yes sir, of course. Thank you, you've been very helpful and accepting, as always," Hermione said with a smile. Ginny, too, thanked him, before exiting and heading off towards the kitchens for a meal.

Hermione and Ginny sat at the table, staring glumly at their food. They had been hungry before, but after walking through the castle they couldn't eat. There had been too many reminders of the battle and too many reminders of the deaths.

"Hermione, what are we going to do?" asked Ginny, her voice filled with emotion.

"I don't know, I suppose listen to Dumbledore. There's nothing else we can do. We can't go back, even if we wanted, and I'm not sure I'd want to. Everything in our world is gone. I don't think I can stand it," Hermione said, her eyes watering slightly.

"Without Harry," Ginny began, but she couldn't finish. Tears streamed down her face and she reached for Hermione. "Without him, I'm not even sure I want to live anymore." Hermione nodded grimly. She felt the same way without Ron.

"I know, but we have to keep living. Harry and Ron would never forgive us if we didn't, you know that," Hermione said quietly. Ginny nodded, and released her friend. They sat in silence for a few moments, both engaged in their own thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm just so shook up, you know, after that battle. I think it will do us some good to go back to being kids. It'll give us some time to heal, and I think we could both use that."

Hermione couldn't help but agree, and the two returned to Dumbledore with their answer.

"Are you sure?" Both girls nodded, and Dumbledore smiled. "Very well, then. I suppose I should inform you about what will happen after you take the potion. You will be changed to the age of one, and I will be placing you with a family. Ms. Weasley, because of your red hair and because of a hint my future self made, I've decided to place you in the Evan's household. I believe you should recognize that name."

Ginny smiled softly, and nodded. It was Harry's mother's last name. "So I'll be staying with Lily, then?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, as her sister, in fact. As for you, Ms. Granger, you will be staying with the Snapes." Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Dumbledore held up a hand. "While I am aware that there may be conflict in the future, I assure you that this is a good idea. Young Severus will soon need the love that only you can provide, and also this way Ms. Weasley and yourself may stay in contact. The Evans and the Snapes live close to each other, and I have no doubt that you will see each other often. Now, one last thing. Although you will be very young, you will have the memories you possess now. You must be careful to only share with those whom you trust, and only when it is necessary, as you could seriously skew the path this world is destined to take."

Hermione and Ginny nodded gravely before swearing to protect the information they held. With that, they each were given a small goblet filled with a blue, swirling potion, which they drank quickly. Dumbledore smiled at them one last time, and then levitated them to the beds he had transfigured. Within minutes, two baby girls laid in their places, one with shocking red locks, and the other with soft brunette fuzz.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I hope everyone liked it. Please let me know your thoughts on it with a review, and if you have anything negative please let me know as well, but don't be too harsh! Anyways, I should really mention that Voldemort's first two little speeches in italics are both from _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ and can be found on pages 583-584. Also, I believe the dates are correct in this because I checked an online timeline on the Harry Potter Lexicon, but if they are incorrect feel free to correct me. I will not, however, be changing the date of May 2nd, because not only is it the day that the timeline says the dark lord falls, it's also my birthday, and quite honestly I think that's pretty cool... Yep, I'm a Harry Potter nerd :)

Also, the title of this chapter is named after the song _Times Like These_ by Jack Johnson. It's a good song, so if you haven't heard it, then check it out! I thought it fit their predicament rather well.

Thanks,

Balinnka

P.S. Pleaaaase review. I'll give you a cookie! Well not literally, but you know what I mean... :)


	2. Muggles and Magic

**Disclaimer:** None of this is mine, it's all J.K. Rowling's.

* * *

Chapter Two

Muggles and Magic

Ginny Evans woke to the smell of bacon, and happily got out of bed to wake her sister. Although they were not technically related, nearly everyone thought they were twins, and the family itself often forgot that they were not.

"Lily," she said quietly, gently shaking her shoulder. Lily's bright green eyes snapped open, and glared up at Ginny.

"What do you want? It's early," she growled. It wasn't that Lily and Ginny didn't get along; in fact, they actually got along extraordinarily well. However, they had certain differences, one being that Ginny was a morning person and Lily certainly was not.

"It's not that early," Ginny responded, "and Mum made bacon so I figured you'd want some." Lily immediately bolted out of bed, grinning.

"I love bacon! Race you downstairs?"

Both redheads took off as fast as they could, pushing and jostling each other as they raced for the kitchen, and more importantly the bacon. The two tied, although each girl claimed she had won. Lilah Evans, who had witnessed the whole escapade, laughed merrily at her daughters and served them bacon.

She was tall and thin, with a striking face framed with long, strawberry blonde hair. It had at one time been much darker, the same shade as Lily's, but after she had given birth to her daughter it had faded, and she often joked that Lily and Ginny had sucked it all out of her, even though Ginny did not technically come from her womb. She was a kind woman, and accepted Ginny as her own daughter, spoiling her with love.

"Girls, where's Petunia?" Lily and Ginny shrugged, and continued stuffing their mouths with bacon.

"Pwobably still shleeping," Lily responded, her mouth full. Mrs. Evans looked down at her sternly, and warned her not to talk with her mouth full. While she was normally good-natured, Mrs. Evans did not tolerate bad manners or any sort of a mess.

"I'll get her," Ginny volunteered. She had always been intrigued by Petunia, knowing that this girl would someday turn into the bitter woman who had mistreated Harry. It was odd, because she was very kind, and spent more time with the twins than Ginny had ever thought a teenager would want to. She knew for a fact that when she had been thirteen she wouldn't have wanted to hang out with two rowdy nine year olds.

"Tuney?" she called, pushing the door open. Her older sister sat up in bed and smiled at her. "Can we go to the park today, Tuney? Please?" she begged, hoping for a trip to the park. She really wanted to see Hermione, and she often encountered her at the park.

Petunia nodded. "I guess. Why don't we go downstairs? I smell bacon." Ginny grinned. It was in the Evan's blood that they all loved bacon, and it explained a bit about Harry. He had always had a small obsession with bacon, and now she knew where it came from.

Her heart hurt, and she tried to distract herself. Every time she thought of him, although it had been nine years, she became very sad.

"What's my little princess sad about?" Eric Evans asked, before kneeling down before his adopted daughter. Ginny groaned inside her head, but on the outside put on a puppy dog face. She hadn't meant for anyone to catch her while she was thinking such un-nine year old like thoughts, but Mr. Evans was very perceptive.

"Do you have to work today?" she asked, quickly thinking of a lie. Mr. Evans nodded his head sadly.

"I'm sorry, Ginny, but I'll be home early tonight," he said, flattered that his little girl wanted him around so much. Ginny smiled up at him. Flattery always was a good distraction.

"Okay, daddy," she said, and pecked him on the cheek, before taking his hand and leading him into the kitchen so that they could eat with the rest of the family. "Guess what, Lily," Ginny said, causing Lily to go wide-eyed.

"Ooh what?" the girl asked, and Ginny couldn't help but laugh. It was fun going back to such an immature age, and while she had originally thought it would be irritating, she was finding it to be a blast.

"Tuney's taking us to the park today! She said so when I woke her up," Ginny said, turning to look at her older sister who smiled at her and nodded. The girls finished eating and then headed upstairs to dress, then setting out in the direction of the park, Petunia holding each twin's hand.

Hermione and Severus Snape walked side by side down the street, the sun beating down on their dark hair. Severus wore a black jacket, which was far too large for him over worn clothing. His skinny frame only caused the clothing to look even bigger. Hermione's clothes were not much better, but she wore them without shame, unlike the boy who was clearly self-conscious.

"It's hot," Hermione commented, looking up at the summer sun. Severus nodded in agreement and scowled up at the sky.

"I can't wait for summer to be over," he commented.

Hermione looked at him in wonder. It was weird to meet a child who didn't enjoy summer, but if it were going to be anyone, it would be Severus Snape.

"Why do you want it to be over? The weather's heavenly, and we've been able to see Lily and Ginny nearly every day. It's wonderful," Hermione said happily.

Severus shrugged and kept walking. "I don't know. I do like seeing them everyday," he explained.

Hermione giggled. "By them, you mean Lily."

Severus blushed and turned away so she wouldn't see, but Hermione caught sight of his red cheeks anyways.

"You _like_ her," she teased, smiling at her brother.

"_Shut up_," he whispered, pointing at the three girls who were now approaching them from the other side of the street.

"Hermione, Severus," Petunia greeted them, and released her sisters' hands so that they could run to the other children. Ginny hugged Hermione tightly, and waved at Severus. Lily rushed to hug both Severus and Hermione, and Hermione took note that Severus once again turned a deep shade of red. "Well, why don't you all head off to the park? I think I'll stop by Marie's," Petunia said, before walking in the direction of her friend's house.

Ginny and Lily waved at her retreating back, and then linked arms with the other two children. They were best friends and had been for as long as they could remember. Almost every day the four met in the park, and often Hermione and Severus came to visit at the Evans'. Ginny and Lily, however, never visited the Snape's and knew not to ask why. They understood that the Snapes were not quite as well off as them, and that Severus was ashamed. Hermione didn't mind, but she knew not to overstep her welcome in the Snape household. While she got along well with Severus, her parents did not always accept her, nor did they accept Severus. Most of the time their father was working and their mother was drunk, leaving the two alone with each other for support.

"Let's play on the swings," Lily suggested, running towards them. They each claimed a swing, and began pumping to try and get highest. At one point, Lily and Severus swung at the same speed next to each other, and Ginny grinned.

"Look, Lily and Severus are married," she said, laughing and continuing to swing. Hermione and Lily laughed as well, but Severus glared at Ginny from his swing. They had never gotten along particularly well, though they tried to hide it from their two friends.

"Be quiet, Ginevra," Severus snapped.

"Don't call me that," Ginny threatened.

"I'll do whatever I like, thank you very much."

Ginny rolled her eyes, and got off the swing, heading towards her favorite tree. She climbed to the top of it and watched with narrowed eyes as Severus got down from his swing and went to join her.

"What do you want?" she questioned him, as he climbed the tree to sit across from her.

"I want you to stop making fun of me and Lily."

Ginny laughed. "You think I'm making fun of you? I was just teasing you, that's what friends do, you know."

Severus scowled at her. "I wasn't aware that we were friends," he said, before pushing her out of the tree. Ginny screamed, and began to cry after scraping her elbow. Hermione and Lily came running.

"Ginny, come on, let's go wash your cut in the fountain," Hermione suggested, leaving Lily to yell at Severus alone. Ginny stopped crying as soon as they were out of hearing range. "How are you?" Hermione inquired.

Ginny shrugged. "Same as usual. Trapped in a nine year old's body, separated from my world, but happy." Hermione grinned, and hugged her best friend close to her.

"Same here," she said with a smile. "I just can't wait until we go to Hogwarts, there will be so much more to do then, and I can't wait to visit the library again." Hermione sighed happily, and stopped at the fountain.

"You'll never change, will you? Once a bookworm, always a bookworm," Ginny teased. Hermione mock scowled at her, and then splashed her with water. "Hey!" Ginny screamed, and went to splash Hermione back. The two engaged in a water fight, for once truly acting the part of a nine year old.

The summer continued, with the four friends sharing their days in the park and soon it was nearing its end. In August, Ginny celebrated her birthday by inviting both Hermione and Severus to a sleepover. She had not initially wanted to invite Severus, but Mrs. Evans insisted, despite Ginny's argument that he was a boy.

"It's alright, I know Severus, he'll behave," Mrs. Evans had told her, interpreting her apprehension towards inviting Severus as fear of getting in trouble. So, Severus had been invited, and the four children had spent Ginny's birthday together, laughing and giggling through the night until morning. Severus was even on his best behavior, and had been sure not to anger Ginny. Hermione and Ginny found this amusing, as they were sure Lily had told him to behave, and were beginning to imagine just the type of mother she would be.

After the summer had officially ended, the children returned to the primary school that was located in their neighborhood, with all four excelling in their lessons. Lily, it seemed, was a bright child, and Severus was quick to learn. Hermione and Ginny already knew most of the course content, and tried to hold themselves back, but saw nothing wrong with occasionally showing off. Hermione's birthday came and went in September, ignored and forgotten by the Snapes.

She didn't mind, as she knew they didn't have the extra money to spare for presents anyhow, and she had celebrated her tenth birthday before. She was delighted, however, when Ginny provided her with a set of walkie-talkies, which the two used to talk constantly. Their friendship continued to grow, with the girls relying on each other for support when their situation got to them.

Ginny and Lily were close as well, and shared secrets with each other. Lily had even admitted to Ginny that she had done something odd, which excited Ginny very much. She knew that it was magic, and had to hold herself back from telling Lily. She knew that she must wait for Severus to tell her, as she was not supposed to know of these things either.

When January came the families got together to celebrate both Lily and Severus' tenth birthdays. Hermione and Ginny were very excited; there was under a year left until they would receive their Hogwarts letters.

The rest of the school year passed quickly, and soon it was summer once more. Lily and Ginny were sitting in their backyard, talking animatedly about the magic show they had just attended.

"I think it's real," Ginny said with a smirk.

"Well I don't," argued Lily stubbornly.

"Wanna bet?"

"Yeah," said Lily, grinning. She clearly thought she was going to win the bet, though she was also unaware that Ginny had an unfair advantage. The twins shook on the bet, and went inside to where Mrs. Evans had just welcomed Severus and Hermione in. They beamed at their friends, and decided to go off to the park to play. Petunia had offered to walk with them, as she had intended to visit her friend's house, and wanted to be sure they were safe.

Once they had reached the park, Ginny and Hermione ran off towards the tire swing and began playing immediately. Severus and Lily, however, headed towards the creek. Lily didn't like the tire swing much as it had always made her sick, and Severus was always following Lily. The pair sat down beside it, talking and joking around.

"Hey Lily, want to see something cool?" Severus asked, his eyes alight. Lily nodded eagerly, and watched as he concentrated on a stick in front of him. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but soon the stick began to float into the air and she stared at it, then at him.

"You can do it too?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Wait, you mean you can do magic?" asked Severus, his eyes wide now as well.

"Well, I don't know if it's magic, but I can move things like that. Although not when I want to. Most of the time it just happens on it's own. It's kind of scary, really."

"It's magic, Lily. You're a witch!" Lily glared at him, taking his congratulations as an insult.

"What did you just call me?" she asked, on the verge of losing her temper. She had always had a short temper, and Severus knew not to cross her. A mad Lily was a very bad thing indeed.

"A witch. Not in a bad way, of course. It's a good thing, Lily, just ask Hermione," Severus said, gesturing towards the brunette.

"Fine, I will," she announced, and stomped off in the direction of her friend.

"Hermione, Severus called me a witch," Lily began, and both Hermione and Ginny looked delighted. "Why are the two of you grinning? It's not funny, it's insulting!"

"Calm down, Lily," Hermione said, remembering that Lily didn't know that being a witch was not a particularly bad thing. "Being a witch is nothing to worry about. It just means you're a little bit different, that you can do magic, that you're not a muggle."

Lily looked confused. "A muggle? Magic? That's not real. Did Ginny put you up to this?" she glared in Ginny's direction.

Ginny rose her hands up in surrender, "No I swear I didn't, Lily. I can do the weird stuff too, like making things lift up. I don't think there's any other way to explain it besides magic." Hermione nodded along, and Severus, who had just joined them, sent her a look of gratitude.

"It's true, Lily," Hermione said gently. "Maybe you should think about it for a little while."

"No, I want to hear more," Lily demanded, her eyes lit up with curiosity. It seemed that she was quick to believe the existence of magic. After all, it did explain the odd things she could do, and she was comforted knowing that her friends could as well.

The foursome spent the rest of the afternoon sitting by the stream, talking of the wizarding world. Ginny had to be very careful to act as though she didn't know about it yet, and found it difficult not to divulge any information. It was lucky that Hermione had been placed in a wizarding family; Ginny wasn't sure that she would have been able to restrain herself when a chance of explaining things came up.

The children continued to meet every day, with most days consisting of discussing magic and wizards and Hogwarts as well. Lily had been exposed to a whole new world and asked endless questions about it, always with her green eyes wide in wonderment. Hermione felt a pang when she realized that the look Lily took on was very much similar to the one Harry had when he had arrived in Hogwarts and had begun to learn more and more about the wizarding world. There were so many similarities between the two, and Ginny and Hermione often discussed these while in private. While it pained them to remember, it pained them more to forget, and so they vowed never to forget the lives they came from, no matter if they would ever return or not.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I hope you liked this chapter, because quite honestly it wasn't my favorite. In my opinion it was missing action, but I needed to get the characters settled before I could really move on. If you have any comments or suggestions, please review! Also, if you want me to update another chapter faster, reviews are always good motivation :)

Oh, and also, a big thank you to **lovlaurent**, my first reviewer! In regards to your request, I will try to focus on Ginny, but there will also be a good deal of Hermione mixed in. Ginny is my personal favorite of the two (shh don't tell Hermione), so naturally she'll be a little more involved in the story than Hermione. Hermione will still be a main character, though, and play a huge role in the story.

**mari:** Thanks for reviewing! Your English is very good, actually. It's amazing that my story's being read all the way in Brazil, I've gotta say, that's pretty cool :) To answer your question, no, Hermione and Ginny will _not_ be a couple. The couples will be, most definitely, Ginny and Sirius, James and Lily, and Hermione and Remus. Sorry if that was at all confusing for anyone.

Thanks,

Balinnka

P.S. Review review review review review review review review.... I know you wanna!


	3. Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad

**Disclaimer:** It's all J.K. Rowling's.

* * *

Chapter Three

Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad

A high-pitched scream startled Ginny out of sleep, and she shot downstairs to see what the commotion was. Lily was close behind her, also having been awoken by the noise.

"Eric!" They heard Mrs. Evans scream, calling for her husbands help.

"What is it? Oh God," they heard their father say. He pushed past the twins, hoping to save his wife from whatever was frightening her.

"Be careful, daddy!" Lily warned, her eyes wide in fright. Ginny, too, looked frightened, and approached the kitchen cautiously. She wished desperately for her wand, but it had been left at Hogwarts to be guarded by Dumbledore until she was eleven.

The kitchen went completely silent, and Ginny froze, thinking the worst. If it had been something simple, like a spider, her father would have teased her mother, and then picked it up and taken it outside. Ginny couldn't hear any movements that suggested it was just another spider, and began to worry. Lily looked worried as well, and reached down to hold Ginny's hand tightly. They looked at each other, silently discussing whether or not to enter the kitchen. It was not until they heard uncontrolled peals of laughter from Mr. Evans that they decided to venture in. Whatever it was, it couldn't be too bad if he was laughing.

"Daddy, what's going on," asked Ginny, looking around the room warily. It wasn't until she spotted her mother in the corner that she understood what was so funny. Mrs. Evans stood next to the window, surrounded by the countertop that she worked so hard to keep spotless, with an owl perched on her head. Next to her, Lily bent over laughing, and Ginny couldn't help but join. The look on her mother's face was absolutely hysterical.

"Stop laughing," Mrs. Evans screamed, "and get this bird off of me before it uses my head as a loo!" This only made the girls laugh harder, and even Mr. Evans was finding it hard to control his laughter. After about five minutes of solid laughter, they were finally able to control themselves. Ginny, knowing exactly how to get the owl off her mother's head, went straight to the breakfast that Mrs. Evans had just made. She fetched a small piece of bacon and held it out to the bird, which hopped off Mrs. Evans' head and onto the counter.

"Ginny, no!" Mrs. Evans cried. "Don't feed it, you'll only encourage it to return!" Ginny shook her head at her mother, and reached down to get the letters attached to the owl's talons.

"Look Lily, we've got letters," she said, her voice brimming with excitement. Lily grinned and went to join her twin. She had heard that wizards delivered mail by owls, and was excited to see her first letter from the wizarding world. The twins looked at each other, and then the letters, and decided to open them at the same time. They counted to three and then tore them open, withdrawing the parchment from within.

"What is it?" Mr. Evans asked, trying to peak at the contents of the letter over their shoulders.

"It's a letter from a school," Lily read.

"What school, dear?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Ginny supplied, trying her best to look shocked.

"What?" Mrs. Evans asked, clearly confused. "Witchcraft and wizardry? Nonsense. It must be some sort of scam."

"Let me see," Mr. Evans said, extending his hand for the letter. Lily handed him hers, and crossed her fingers behind her back. They had to let her go! The next few minutes were spent with the adults perusing the letters carefully, trying to see if they could discover anything. The girls watched as their parents exchanged doubtful glances, and began muttering to each other. They had to come up with some way to prove that wizards and witches were real, otherwise Mr. and Mrs. Evans would never let them go.

However, before they could come up with an idea, there was a sharp knock on the door. Lilah Evans ran her fingers through her hair, trying to smooth it after the owl had mussed it, and went to greet their visitor. On their front step stood Albus Dumbledore. He was dressed in a purple muggle business suit, a tie adorned with yellow and pink polka dots, and he carried a small bag, which appeared to be a purse upon further inspection. The man may have been brilliant, but it was clear he had never quite learned how to dress in muggle clothes appropriately.

"Hello," he greeted Mrs. Evans, reaching out to shake her hand. "I'm Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Mrs. Evans looked shocked, but stepped aside to allow him to enter her house. As wary as she was of the odd man, she was more wary of her neighbors seeing him. She liked to maintain a good image in her neighborhood, and an old man dressed in a purple suit with a purse was something she was sure her neighbors would gossip about.

"Are you the man who sent us these letters?" asked Mr. Evans, waving the parchment in front of him.

"Ah yes, so you have received them. Very good," Dumbledore said. "I, myself, did not send them. They are actually from my Deputy Headmistress, who sent them upon my request."

Mr. Evans nodded as if he understood and gestured towards the family room. "Please sit," he invited, "I have a feeling this may be a long conversation." Dumbledore complied, and the girls moved to follow him, but their mother shook her head.

"Lily, Ginny, darlings, I don't think this is a conversation you need to be a part of," she suggested, and made to shoo them off towards their room.

"No, no, its quite alright, let the them stay," Dumbledore said, directing a smile at the twins. Once everyone was settled, Dumbledore began to explain both Hogwarts and the wizarding world.

It took a few hours before the Evans fully understood and accepted the information he had provided them with, but by the end of the meeting, they agreed to let their daughters attend the school. The meeting had gone quite smoothly, besides the appearance of Petunia, who had slept in and was rather surprised to see a strange man sitting in her house, and was embarrassed to be caught still in her pajamas.

"Mum, who's that? And what's he doing here?" she asked, pulling Mrs. Evans into the kitchen and away from the stranger.

"That's Professor Dumbledore," Mrs. Evans said. "He's headmaster at a school of magic, and he'd like Ginny and Lily to attend." Petunia looked at her in confusion. Since when had her mum gone loopy? There was no such thing as magic.

"What are you talking about, Mum? Magic?"

Mrs. Evans nodded with excitement. "Now don't be shy dear, why don't you go and introduce yourself. Perhaps you can attend the school as well, now wouldn't you like that?"

Petunia nodded and walked into the other room to greet the old man. He smiled at her and stood to offer her his seat, as all the others were full. "You must be Petunia," he said with a smile. She nodded, and smiled nervously back. "Perhaps I should explain to you where your sisters shall be going in September." Dumbledore repeated what he had explained earlier to the rest of her family, and by the end of his explanation, Petunia's eyes shone with excitement.

"Can I come too?" she asked.

Dumbledore shook his head slowly. "I am afraid not, my dear. As much as I would enjoy your presence in my school, I don't think it would quite work out. Hogwarts curriculum is constructed around magic, and I don't think you would much enjoy it without any powers."

Petunia's eyes watered and she looked as if she was going to cry. It wasn't fair that her sisters got to go off and learn magic and she didn't. Petunia stood from her chair and retreated to her room, shutting the door rather loudly. Dumbledore sighed, and apologized to Mr. and Mrs. Evans before excusing himself.

"I do believe I should be returning to Hogwarts now, but I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions at all. As for a last bit of information, I recommend you shop at Diagon Alley for your school supplies, as you won't come across those in any stores around here. Mr. and Mrs. Snape, your neighbors, should be able to help you find it. Good day," he bid them, and stepped out the door.

A few days later the Snapes arrived on the Evans' front step. Mrs. Evans opened the door and waved them inside, greeting Tobias and Eileen Snape as they came in.

"How nice to see you," she said with a smile, to which Mr. Snape replied with a nod in her direction. The two sets of parents weren't friends but were simply acquaintances. They had met on various occasions because of their children's friendship, but most encounters were short and consisted mainly of small talk. Today, both families tried their best to socialize; yet there were still awkward pauses every few minutes.

After a bit of small talk the adults decided it best to be on their way, and loaded into the Evans' minivan. Lily, Hermione, and Ginny occupied the back seat, leaving Severus to sit between his parents, and Mr. and Mrs. Evans in the front. Along the way the girls talked amongst themselves and giggled excitedly. Hermione was telling Lily and Ginny everything she knew about Diagon Alley, and the girls were full of anticipation, Lily in particular. She couldn't wait to see Diagon Alley for the first time, and she was eager to see more magic. Hermione and Severus didn't have wands, so they weren't able to show Lily any tricks, but they told her of plenty of different spells and she couldn't wait to see them.

Finally, the group arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. The Snapes led them inside, introducing them to the bartender Tom as they went. The pub smelled of beer and sweat, and the girls all wrinkled their noses at the smell and quickly followed the Snapes to the back. They were met with a brick wall. Eileen Snape reached up and tapped a pattern on the red bricks, and stared at them expectantly. Mr. and Mrs. Evans exchanged a skeptic glance, but when they looked back the bricks had jumped to life. They were shuffling neatly out of the way, leaving a wide gap, which Mr. Snape led them through.

Lily gasped. Diagon Alley was the most wonderful thing she had every seen. Shops of every sort lined the cobbled street, their windows full of everything from robes to brooms to little trinkets that she had never seen before. The street was crowded with vendors, who called out to them as they came in, offering them all sorts of things, most of which she'd never heard of.

"Step right up and purchase a winged windle!" called one vendor, holding out a small toy that tried to flutter out of his grip. Lily looked at it in wonder. A toy could fly! She'd never seen anything like it before, and she wanted to see more. Lily grabbed her sister's hand and dragged her over to the vendor, pointing at it with a huge grin.

"Look, Ginny," she exclaimed, amazed by the smallest things. Ginny grinned as well, and really meant it. She had missed magic, and it brought her such joy to see it again. She looked at the winged windle for a few minute as it fluttered around the vendor's cart, and then pulled Lily off in the other direction, making sure that they were not separated. The street was crowded and even more packed than usual, seeing as the school year was fast approaching and many families were in a hurry to collect all their supplies.

Hermione and Severus had been to Diagon Alley before, but were still amazed. They headed off in the direction of their favorite shop, which contained all sorts of knick-knacks. Their parents watched them go, and turned to the Evans.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Mrs. Snape said, chuckling at the looks of wonderment upon her neighbor's faces. "I suppose this is quite a shock for you."

Mr. and Mrs. Evans nodded and went to examine a variety of umbrellas laid out in front of a shop, smiling in wonder at the devices. The umbrellas contained all sorts of moving pictures, one with little snitches flying everywhere and another with flowers that bloomed over and over.

"This is wonderful," Mrs. Evans said. "Too bad Tuney didn't come along, I'm sure she would have adored this." Mr. Evans nodded. They had tried to convince Petunia to come along with them on the outing, but she had refused. She didn't want to go see more freaks, she had said, while glaring in her younger sisters direction. It was odd for her to be acting so cruelly towards them; merely a week ago they had gotten along incredibly well. Mr. and Mrs. Evans supposed that the magic and Dumbledore's refusal of her at his school had something to do with it, and so they had not pushed her to come along, but rather decided to wait until she grew out of it.

After a good half hour of exploring, the families met up once more and decided it was about time to get started on their shopping. Before they began, the Snapes led them to Gringotts to exchange their muggle money for wizarding money and briefly explained how to use the new currency. After the small details were taken care of, they headed back out onto the street.

Severus withdrew his materials list from his pocket and looked at it to determine where to go next.

_First-year students will require:_

_Uniform:_

_Three Set of Plain Work Robes (Black)_

_One Plain Pointed Hat (Black) for Day Wear_

_One Pair of Protective Gloves (Dragon Hide or Similar)_

_One Winter Cloak (Black, Silver Fastenings)_

_Books:_

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)__ by Miranda Goshawk_

_A History of Magic__ by Bathilda Bagshot_

_Magical Theory__ by Adalbert Waffling_

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ _by Emeric Switch_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi__ by Phyllida Spore_

_Magical Drafts and Potions__ by Arsenius Jigger_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them__ by Newt Scamander_

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection__ by Quentin Trimble_

_Other Equipment:_

_One Wand_

_One Cauldron (Pewter, Standard Size 2)_

_One Set of Glass or Crystal phials_

_One Telescope_

_One Set of Brass Scales_

_Students May Also Bring an Owl OR Cat OR a toad_

_**Parents are reminded that first years are not allowed their own broomsticks**_

Mrs. Snape read over Severus' shoulder, and turned to the rest of the group. "Why don't we start off by getting robes? Madam Malkin's will do." The Evans nodded and followed, staring at their surroundings. Severus, Lily, Hermione, and Ginny walked together, discussing all that they had seen.

Within a few minutes the group had reached the shop, and Ginny stood on the stool as Madam Malkin measured her. Her friends wandered through the store, Hermione and Lily dragging Severus behind them as they examined the clothing. Soon, Ginny was done, and it was Severus' turn to be measured. The two other girls were still shopping around, chattering happily. Ginny didn't really want to shop, as she had just waited through a long fitting, and instead snuck out into the street. From there, she crossed over and purchased an ice cream, and then took a seat at a table.

She sat enjoying her treat and watching people on the street. The people milled about, most smiling and happy. Across the street, two teenagers stood holding hands, looking happier than cats with milk. Ginny sighed wistfully and thought back to the days with Harry. She tried to shut out her memories, especially when others were around, but returning to Diagon Alley brought it all back to her. It wasn't only Harry whom she thought of, but of Fred and George as well. Their shop had been just down the street, and she missed the building almost as much as the twins themselves. It had been their dream and everything they worked for, and it pained Ginny to know that she would never see it again.

A tear trickled down her cheek as she surveyed the street that held so many memories of her past. Soon, the single tear turned into cascades of tears that she couldn't stop. Ginny couldn't take having such an emotional moment and public and dropped her ice cream cone before running into an alley to cry in private.

"Are you okay?" a meek voice asked, and Ginny looked up into a pair of watery blue eyes. Ginny nodded, and looked away, trying to get the boy to leave. The boy stared down at her for a few moments and sat beside her. "You sure? You don't look okay."

"I'm fine, really," Ginny said, her voice cracking and giving the truth away. The boy reached out to pat her shoulder awkwardly, trying his best to comfort her. Ginny tried to pull herself together, and after a few minutes was able to address the boy.

"I'm Ginny Evans," she said with a small smile.

"Peter Pettigrew," the boy replied. Ginny froze. Peter Pettigrew, the reason for all of Harry's problems, the cause of Lily and James Potter's deaths, and a death eater, had just comforted her. She felt sick and as though she had betrayed Harry.

Peter, unaware of the inner torment Ginny was suffering, tried to smile at her. He assumed that she was just sad again, and didn't take the scowl on her face personally.

"I should go," he muttered awkwardly, and left the alley, unaware of how close he had come to facing the wrath of a very angry redhead.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, there's another chapter for you, hope you enjoyed it! The title of this chapter is also the title of a song by U2, which it is named after. Definitely not mine.

Thanks to all the wonderful reviewers!

**Dora Penmoko: **I'm glad you like it so far. If you have any suggestions, lemme know :)

**Morghen: **Thanks, and I can't wait to see where I go with it either. I do have quite a bit planned out, but I'm excited to see how everything will turn out.

**Smithback: **Thank you! Your English is actually really good! And if you want, you can leave me reviews in Spanish because I actually do know some Spanish and need to work on it.. hehe. My spanish teacher would be so excited if she read this... :)

Thanks,

Balinnka

P.S. Hey you, review! Ha it rhymed... I'm cool...


	4. Deadly Creatures and Dark Omens

**Disclaimer:** This is all J.K. Rowlings, blah blah blah, the usual.

* * *

Chapter Four

Deadly Creatures and Dark Omens

Lily stood before a pair of beautiful green dress robes, admiring the detailed stitching. Hermione, who stood with her, looked at the robes with far less enthusiasm. When they had first arrived she had been mildly interested in the clothing, but as time dragged on she became less and less interested. Instead, her mind wandered off to her school memories. All the shopping was strongly reminding her of the days she had spent with the Weasleys, bustling about the shops.

Her thoughts turned towards the youngest Weasley, and she began to wonder where exactly her companion had gone.

"Lily, where'd Ginny go?"

"I dunno," Lily frowned. "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her since Madam Malkins was measuring her for her robes."

"We should look for her," Hermione suggested, pulling Lily away from the robes, which she sent a longing look before following Hermione. The breeze played with their hair gently as the door swung shut behind them, and they began to search the square for a shock of flame red hair. Neither saw anything promising, and they continued to walk down the street, glancing each way.

Lily, who had been looking down a street, accidentally bumped into a woman, sending her bags flying.

"Oh, my," Lily said, turning bright red. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going. Oh, let me help you." Both her and Hermione bent to retrieve the woman's purchases.

"Quite all right, dear," the woman said with a small smile. Her round face was framed with soft gray hair that still held the slightest traces of brown. She extended her arms to collect the bags the girls held, before withdrawing her wand and shrinking them. "Well, good day," she addressed them, before turning around to where a boy hid behind her. "Come along, Remus, we'd best hurry if you want to get a halfway decent owl. They go quickly, you know."

Lily's eyes widened. "Owls? You mean they sell owls here?"

The woman nodded and gave her an odd look. "Why wouldn't they?" It seemed to dawn on her that perhaps Lily was a muggleborn and she covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, dear, you must be new to the wizarding world, aren't you?" Lily nodded. "Well then, why don't you follow me? I can show you to the pet shop, if you'd like."

Hermione and Lily complied, and they followed the kind woman and her son down the street to a large shop. "This here," the woman said with a grand gesture toward the building behind her, "is one of the best pet shops in the wizarding world. You can find practically any creature you'd like here, and many more on top of that."

Judging by the store's windows, the woman was correct. They were crowded with cages and tanks of varying sizes, each containing a different creature, most of which Lily had never seen before. Hermione took Lily's hand and led her through the bright green door, and they were instantly greeted with noises of all sorts of animals. There were lazy hoots from the owls, which perched above them, watching them with round eyes. Their soft hoots mingled with the meowing of cats and the sharp barks of dogs.

The two children wandered the pet shop after thanking the woman, who introduced herself as Mary Lupin, for showing them to the shop. Situated in the front of the shop were tanks containing all sorts of toads, and Hermione smiled at them wistfully, with thoughts of Neville Longbottom. Lily, however, was far more interested in the owls, and gazed up at them with wonder.

Hermione's fingers brushed along various cages and containers as she strolled through the aisles taking in all there was to see. There were all sorts of animals, some that she hadn't even heard of, which was rather unique in itself. At last, she reached the end of the many aisles, and stood in the back of the shop.

In the corner, almost hidden completely in shadows, was a large glass box that looked to be empty apart from various rocks and plants. Hermione frowned at it, and stepped forward to look closer. It was odd that they would waste shelf space with an empty container, when she knew they had stores of more creatures in the back. Her eyes scoured the tank, and came to meet a pair of glistening red eyes.

She felt her body stiffen and quickly averted her eyes, and meeting another set of eyes. These eyes, however, were a deep blue, yet just as captivating. The eyes stared at her for a few moments and then broke contact, staring down at the floor.

"How is it that you're not dead?" a quiet voice asked, and Hermione looked at the boy intently. He was the boy who had hid behind his mother earlier, and more importantly, it was a young Remus Lupin.

"What do you mean how is it that I'm not dead?" she asked, frowning at him.

"It's just that the snake in there that you were looking at, it's a basilisk. If you look it in the eye, then you die."

Hermione turned to look at the snake once more, carefully avoiding its eyes. It was small and had not yet grown to anywhere near its full size.

"Oh, I didn't look it in the eyes. That's lucky," she lied, with a nervous laugh. Inside, she was panicking, but she tried not to let it show. Why wasn't she dead? She had looked it straight in the eyes, and all that happened was her limbs stiffening up a bit, and relaxing the moment she had looked away. Yes, there had been a glass between them, but even with that she should have been petrified like she had in her second year. She shook her head, and filed the information away, vowing to ask Dumbledore about it as soon as she arrived at Hogwarts.

"Why are you back here anyway?" the boy asked. "I didn't think basilisks were all that popular with anyone, being dark creatures and all."

"I was just having a look around. And you know, not all dark creatures are bad. Just because they're a certain breed doesn't mean they're evil. I'm sure this little guy didn't ask to be what he is. He had no control over some blasted wizard putting a toad on top of his egg. I'm sure he'd rather have been a chicken." Hermione looked at Remus expectantly, knowing that by saying that he would be much more comfortable.

He smiled, and nodded. "I know. But aren't you afraid of him?"

Hermione shrugged. "I probably should be, but I'm sure he would never want to intentionally hurt anyone. It's not his breed that's important, but rather his actions, and so far he's done nothing to harm me."

Remus grinned and agreed with her logic, and introduced himself, much to the pleasure of Hermione. She knew that she had just won his friendship, and she knew it would be very valuable in the future. The two continued to talk for a few minutes in the back of the shop, until Mrs. Lupin called for Remus to leave.

"Bye, Hermione, it was nice meeting you."

Hermione smiled in response, and waved goodbye, watching the boy until he had returned to his mother's side and left the building, holding his new owl's cage. Once she was sure he had left, she turned back to the basilisk. It had curled around a rock and appeared to be asleep. Hermione looked away from the small snake, and read the sign that hung from its enclosure.

_Dwarf Basilisk_

_An incredibly loyal animal, although dangerous, the Dwarf Basilisk picks a master, and grows to be the length of his or her wand. Unlike its larger counterpart, it can be controlled without being a parselmotuh, and is a very obeying creature. It feeds off of mice and other rodents. __**Please Note: Basilisks of any sort are not to be underestimated, and can kill with one look in the eyes or one bite full of venom. Beware if you choose to take this creature as your pet, as it is known to be deadly. We will take no responsibility for its actions once purchased.**_

Hermione turned away from the enclosure, deciding to research more later, and went to find Lily once more. She found the redhead standing with an owl perched on one arm, chattering excitedly to Mrs. Evans. The owl was a dappled white and brown, and was marvelous, though not nearly as handsome as Hedwig had been. It hooted contentedly, and appeared to get along well with Lily.

"Mum, please, can I get him?"

Mrs. Evans eyed the bird reproachfully. After her run in with the school owl the previous week, she was none to eager to be purchasing one for her daughter.

"Please, Mum? It said on the list that we _had _to have one," Lily pleaded.

"No, it said that you were _allowed_ one, although it was not necessary," her mother corrected.

"Pretty please?" Lily asked.

"With a cherry on top?" Ginny chimed in from behind Mrs. Evans. It appeared that Ginny had returned while they were gone, and Hermione sighed in relief.

"Mum, we can share her. Besides if we don't have an owl we won't be able to write you," said Ginny.

Mrs. Evans thought it over for a bit, and then nodded in defeat. Lily, Ginny, and Hermione quickly fetched a cage and some owl treats, placing them on the counter and waiting patiently for their mother to pay. After the owl was loaded into the cage, they continued on with the rest of their shopping, meeting the Snapes and Mr. Evans back at Madam Malkins.

"Where were you?" asked Hermione, looking at Ginny with interest.

"Where were _you_ is the better question. Mum and I had to look for you and Lily for ages before we found you at the pet shop."

"We were looking for you, but then we ran into the Lupins."

"The Lupins? As in Remus Lupin's family?" Ginny asked, her eyes growing to the size of a dinner plate.

Hermione nodded. "Yep, and I have a feeling we'll be good friends with Remus."

Ginny looked pleased, but still confused. "So, how did meeting the Lupins lead you to the pet shop?"

Hermione explained the story, but left out her encounter with the basilisk. As tempted as she was to tell her friend right away, she knew that it would be best to hold such a conversation in private. "Anyways, Ginny, where did you go after your fitting? You just disappeared."

Ginny rolled her eyes at her friend's concern, although she was glad to have it. "I wanted some ice cream, so I went to Florean Fortescue's."

"You weren't there when we looked there," Hermione said accusingly.

Ginny looked around and checked to see that Lily and Severus were still talking and that no one was paying attention before beginning to speak quietly. "I was sitting there, but then all these memories came back, and I was rather upset, you could say. So I went in an alley to get control and then Peter Pettigrew, of all people, just had to bloody show up and try to comfort me."

"Are you serious? Pettigrew?" Hermione asked, her eyes wider than Ginny's had been when she heard she had met Remus. "And he tried to comfort you?"

Ginny nodded, looking disgusted. "The worst part is, he wasn't terrible or anything. He was nice to me, the filthy rat."

"He was _nice_ to you?" Hermione raised her eyebrow. "Well, that's a relief. It means he's still good."

Ginny nodded, though not looking particularly happy. "Yeah, but someday he'll be betray them all. Someday he'll go over to the death eaters and betray their secret and kill his own friends."

The Snapes led the group into Ollivander's shop, eagerly sending Severus ahead to get his wand first, with Hermione close behind. Although they were not the best parents, they wanted the best for their children, Severus in particular.

Severus reached forward to ding the bell to alert Mr. Ollivander to their presence, and a few seconds later the old man appeared. Although he was still aged, he was not nearly as worn as he had been last time Hermione had seen him, and he looked much better.

"Hello," he greeted them, peering intently at Severus. "Ah yes, a young Snape. I can remember the very days your parents came in to get their wands. You look so much like your mother did."

Severus blushed at being compared to a girl, but extended his hand to shake Mr. Ollivander's.

"Very well then, let's find you a wand." Mr. Ollivander disappeared into the rows of shelves behind him, at last appearing grasping a small box. He removed the lid and held the box out to Severus, who took the wand and waved it so that it released a shower of green and silver sparks.

"Very good, very good. 11 ¼ dogwood, unicorn tail hair. I expected you'd be that." Severus looked pleased, and stepped back to show his wand to his parents eagerly. Hermione stepped forward next, and greeted Ollivander warmly. He bustled off to the back of his shop, and within a few minutes returned.

"Here, why don't you give this a try," he suggested. Hermione gripped the wand and knew immediately that it was not the right one, but waved it nonetheless. The flowerpot that sat upon the counter shattered, and Mr. Ollivander shook his head before muttering a spell to reassemble it. He left once more to look for a different wand, and soon returned.

"This one should do. 10 ¾ vine with dragon heartstring, give it a wave."

Hermione smiled, knowing this was the right wand. She waved it, producing red sparks, and stepped back to let Lily step forward. Mr. Ollivander went through the same process with her, and she soon was matched with a 10 ¼ inch willow wand with unicorn tail hair.

Ginny greeted Mr. Ollivander with enthusiasm, excited to hold her wand once more. She waited impatiently as he went to find her wand, and frowned when he returned with the wrong one. It didn't work, of course, so he continued searching. After trying three wands that didn't work, he returned holding her old wand.

"Oak, 9 ¼ inches, owl feather."

Ginny waved the wand, but was shocked when it, too, did not work. She returned the wand to Mr. Ollivander, her hand shaking. Why didn't her old wand work? It had to, it was _her_ wand.

Mr. Ollivander, noting her expression, said, "the wand chooses the wizard, Ms. Evans. This isn't the right one. You wait here, I'll find one for you."

He returned almost immediately, but the wand did not work. He then disappeared for a long time, before coming back holding a box that was far darker than the rest of the boxes had been.

"I wonder," he muttered, looking down at the wand.

Ginny grabbed it and waved it quickly, producing sparks. She smiled; glad to have finally found a wand, although it was not her old one.

"How odd," Mr. Ollivander said, clearly thinking hard.

"What, sir? What's odd?"

The old man looked at the wand in her hand and leaned in. "Holly, 11 inches, phoenix feather. Very curious. You see, that wand right there, is the brother wand of the Dark Lord's wand."

Ginny stared down at the wand she held. It was Harry's. She immediately felt comforted by the cool wood, as if Harry was there beside her. However, at the same time, she felt goose bumps spread across her body, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. The wand that she held was Voldemort's wand's brother. This meant only one thing to her, and she embraced the knowledge as openly as one could when receiving a death sentence. She was now the owner of this wand, and she was now the owner of all prophecies that came with it. She would have to kill Voldemort herself.

* * *

**A/N:**Well, there's another chapter for everyone to enjoy (or at least I hope enjoy is the right word). I realize that there aren't really any prophecies concerning the wand, but just go along with it, because in the and it'll all make sense, more or less.

I didn't get any reviews on the last chapter (tear, tear), so I wasn't able to really do anything to change my writing style or improve on anything, so please please please let me know your thoughts on how things are going so far. I'm on here to try to improve my writing, and it's a little hard without any responses... :( So, please, review. You'll make my day, you really will.

Thanks,

Balinnka

P.S. Please review, really, just do it? Please?


	5. Fights and Friends

**Disclaimer:** Everything is all J.K. Rowling's.

* * *

Chapter Five

Fights and Friends

Hermione and Severus Snape sat at the round table that inhabited the center of their kitchen, slowly lifting food to their mouths. In the next room, their mother levitated their trunks downstairs, and out into the vehicle waiting in the garage.

"Hurry up, Hermione," she barked, reappearing in the room. Her eyes softened when they turned to her son, and she waved her hand as to show that he could take as long as he wanted. Hermione rolled her eyes at this, but ate quickly. It was the first of September at last, and within two hours the Hogwarts Express would be carrying her away from her less than loving family.

She finished quickly and carried her plate to the sink, washing it and placing it in the drying rack. Once Severus had finished his meal, she cleared his spot for him as was expected of her. While she washed his plate, Severus wiped down the table for her. Although the Snapes made it clear to Severus through their actions that he was by far more important than her, he never treated her as anything but her equal, and for that she was grateful.

Once they had finished cleaning up, the pair ran upstairs quickly to brush their teeth and conduct a final search to be sure nothing had been forgotten. They both knew they had not forgotten anything; they had packed days in advance and checked their trunks time after time to be sure they were ready.

After one final check, the two loaded into the car, and they began on their way to King's Cross Station. It was only Mrs. Snape who drove them, as Mr. Snape had been busy with work and couldn't get away, and they travelled most of the way in silence.

"Severus," Mrs. Snape said, interrupting the silence. "Your father and I were in Slytherin, as you know, and we fully expect that you will be in it too."

Severus nodded eagerly. He had already expressed his desire to be placed in that house before, and couldn't wait to make his parents proud of him.

"Hermione, don't expect to be in Slytherin," Mrs. Snape said coldly, looking at Hermione in the rear view mirror. "I'd be surprised if they let in a muggleborn like you."

Hermione glared at the back of the seat in front of her, trying to ignore her foster mother's stinging words. **Di**_It doesn't matter_ she thought. _I want to be in Gryffindor, anyways._ Although she knew that it shouldn't matter, the words still hurt her.

When the car finally arrived at the station, she got out quickly. Severus, who had seen the look of hurt on her face, got out and patted her arm.

"It's alright, Hermione, I'm sure you can still get into Slytherin. Don't mind Mum, she's just grumpy 'cause she hasn't had a drink yet today."

Hermione laughed bitterly and hugged Severus. "Thanks, I needed that."

Severus nodded awkwardly, and helped her load her trunk onto a trolley. He stayed behind, said goodbye to his mother quickly, and followed Hermione onto the platform.

Mrs. Snape sat in her car, waiting not so patiently for the Evans to arrive. She had begrudgingly promised Mrs. Evans to help them to find their way onto the platform, and for that reason she sat waiting for a group of useless muggles and their muggleborn daughters.

After waiting a good twenty minutes of waiting for the Evans she decided to leave. She could just say that there'd been a minor emergency and she'd had to leave. It was, after all, rather humiliating to be waiting for a group of muggles, and she did not take hits to her ego well.

Minutes after Mrs. Snape had departed, the Evans finally arrived. Mr. Evans unloaded the cargo, placing it on a trolley, and Mrs. Evans searched the area for any sign of her dark haired neighbor. Petunia, who Mr. and Mrs. Evans had forced to come along, refused to get out of the car and glared at the people walking by.

Ginny and Lily jumped around excitedly, chattering to their father, and preparing themselves to say goodbye. Although he was not Ginny's real father and would never patch the hole that Mr. Weasley had left in her heart, Ginny would genuinely miss him while she was away. He had never been anything but kind to her, and she appreciated everything him and his wife had done for her.

Fifteen minutes later, Mrs. Evans came back to her family, shaking her head.

"I don't see her anywhere. I think we'd better just try to find this mysterious Platform 9 ¾ on our own."

After another five minutes spent trying to coerce Petunia to get out of the car, the Evans decided to go on without her. Lily and Ginny exchanged sad looks that their sister had not cared enough to say goodbye to them, but shook it off and followed their parents.

"I don't see that damn platform anywhere," Mr. Evans said, scratching his head.

A black haired couple that stood a few feet away looked at them and muttered a few words, before approaching them.

"Excuse me, sir, but we couldn't help overhearing that you were in search of a platform," the woman stated.

Mr. Evans nodded and replied, "Yes, actually we are. We just can't seem to find it anywhere."

"Follow us, we'll show you," the black haired man said, before walking straight into a brick wall and disappearing.

"Go on, just walk towards it, and you'll go right on through," the woman said, with a smile.

Ginny looked at her family and shrugged, before walking quickly towards the wall, pushing her trolley. She felt the familiar sensation of the wall melting away, and she found herself on the crowded platform next to the man with black hair.

Soon, the rest of her family had joined them, and they exchanged long goodbyes. Lily looked on the verge of tears, and Ginny squeezed her hand tightly before dragging her trunk to the train. She hopped up, and began to try to lift her trunk, when she felt someone tap her shoulder.

"Want help?" a boy with long black hair asked her, reaching down to lift the trunk up onto the train before she could answer. He smiled at her, displaying perfect white teeth, and made to grab Lily's trunk but stopped when he realized another boy had beaten him to it.

This boy had black hair as well, though it was not nearly as long. He lifted the trunk easily, and reached down to help Lily up.

Ginny looked at the boy and nearly gasped in shock. The boy who stood, still holding Lily's hand, was James Potter. He looked almost exactly as Harry had when she had first met him, although not quite so thin and without the scar. His hair stood up in the back, just like Harry's had, and on his nose perched round spectacles. It was like seeing Harry again, and she stared at him.

"Well, er, I think we should probably find a seat," James said, fidgeting uncomfortably under Ginny's gaze. Ginny turned red, realizing that she'd been staring, and nodded.

The four of them made their way through the train, obediently stepping aside for older students. Finally, they found an empty compartment, and stepped in. The two boys, who had been dragging the luggage, hoisted it up into the overhead racks and plopped down on the seat next to each other. Ginny and Lily sat across from them, and the four kids looked at each other awkwardly for a few minutes.

"I'm Sirius Black," the boy with the long dark hair said, and Ginny grinned. She knew he had looked familiar.

"I'm James Potter," the other boy said, proving Ginny's suspicions correct.

"I'm Ginny Evans, and this is my sister, Lily," Ginny said with a smile.

"Are you twins?" James asked, looking between the two sisters.

Lily shook her head, looking amused. "Nope, although lots of people think we are. It's really quite annoying."

James looked slightly upset that she had just indirectly called him annoying, and turned to talk to Sirius. It was clear to Ginny that the two had not met before, as she was sure that if they had, they would be much louder and there would be much more laughter. She pretended to look out the window, but focused on the conversation they held.

"What house do you want to be in?" asked Sirius, elegantly flicking his hair out of his eyes.

"Gryffindor," James replied almost immediately.

Sirius grinned, "Me too."

James looked at him, somewhat confused. "I thought you were a Black? Aren't all Blacks in Slytherin?"

Sirius glared at him. "I'm not like them," he said, his voice low. "Don't even try to compare me to the lot of them. I'm nothing like them and I never will be."

James held his hands up in surrender. "Whoa there, buddy, I didn't mean you would be in it, I was just wondering. I think it's brilliant that you want to be in Gryffindor. It's the best house there is."

Sirius' eyes lost the dangerous glint they had held before, and the conversation quickly turned towards more pleasant topics such as Hogwarts and quidditch, both of which Ginny was supposed to know next to nothing about. It almost killed her when they started betting on the next Quidditch Cup, as she knew exactly who'd win and by how much, not to mention that any discussion about quidditch was incredibly tempting to her. She had, after all, been on the quidditch team and been quite good as well. Instead of joining in with a bet, she took a different approach.

"Quidditch? What's that?" she asked, pretending to look confused.

"You don't know what quidditch is?"

The boys looked at her as if she had grown a third ear on her forehead.

"How can you not know what quidditch is?"

Ginny shrugged. "I'm guessing it's something only wizards do then? Me and Lily are muggleborn, so we don't know much yet."

James took on a look of understanding, and began to explain quidditch with the help of Sirius. After a solid ten minutes of discussing it, they were still going. Their conversation halted, though, when the door slid open and Hermione stepped in, waving at the two girls.

"Hey Lily, Ginny," she said, sitting beside Ginny. She seemed to notice the boys then, and shook their hands, introducing herself. When she heard their names, her eyebrows shot up and she turned to look at Ginny.

"You would," she whispered. Ginny elbowed her lightly in the side, and the two laughed.

"Where's Severus?" Lily asked.

"Oh, he's getting the luggage taken care of," Hermione stated. "I'm sure he'll be here soon."

Lily smiled, and reached into her bag for a book. She was rather shy at first, and having the two boys around was making her quieter than usual. Ginny returned to the conversation she had been having with James and Sirius when once again the compartment door slid open.

Two boys stood there, looking at them nervously.

"Is there room?" the taller of the two asked.

"Of course there is," Hermione said, inviting them in. "Wait, you're Remus, right?"

The taller boy nodded, and introduced himself to the rest of the room. The shorter boy looked around nervously and introduced himself as Peter Pettigrew, his eyes coming to rest on Ginny.

"Hey, you're that girl from Diagon Alley," he said, his eyes lighting up.

Ginny nodded coldly, and turned away from him to face the window, abruptly ending the conversation.

The train began to move, and they crowded the window to wave goodbye to their parents before settling once more. Sirius and James chatted animatedly in the corner, clearly on the road to friendship, while Remus and Hermione discussed a book, and Lily read. Ginny continued looking out the window, as she could still feel Peter's watery blue eyes trained on the back of her head.

"It's been nearly twenty minutes," Lily said, looking at her watch with concern. "Where is he?"

"Where's who?" Ginny asked, finally looking away from the window.

As if on cue, the door slid open, revealing Severus Snape. He walked in and made to sit by Lily when he realized James glaring at him.

"This compartment's full," James said, crossing his arms.

"Isn't there a seat right there?" Severus asked, pointing next to Lily.

James shook his head and stood up, looking Severus in the eye.

"That seat's taken."

Severus looked at it in confusion. "By who?"

Sirius, eager to help his new friend, stretched his leg across to rest on the seat. "By me," he said with a grin. "Care to make me move?"

"Well now that you mention it, I do," Severus said, making a move towards Sirius. James, though, was too fast and punched Severus before he could get to Sirius.

"Stop," Lily shouted, jumping up to stand between the two seething boys. "What is your problem?" she screamed in James' faces, before turning on her heel and dragging Severus out of the compartment behind her. Hermione, too, got up to leave, motioning for Ginny to come with her.

Ginny shook her head though, and refused to leave.

"Ginny come on, let's go."

"Why? Snivellus has always been a jerk to me, why would I side with him?"

Hermione glared at her for using the nickname Severus hated most. "Fine, stay, but I hope you realize what this means."

Before Ginny could ask exactly what it did mean, Hermione had stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

"What was that you called him?" Sirius asked, clearly trying to alleviate some of the tension.

"Snivellus," Ginny said with a grin.

The boys laughed in appreciation.

"I like it," James said, grinning. "I think I'll call him that from now on."

Sirius nodded. "Snivellus," he said, "very fitting."

"Yeah, it's perfect," Peter added, wanting to be included.

"So, what exactly was that about?" Remus asked, clearly confused as to the cause of the whole argument.

James shrugged. "The compartment was full."

The boys looked satisfied with his answer, except for Remus, who Ginny could tell was still confused by the whole thing.

"Speaking of full," said Sirius, "this bench is too crowded." He stood, and sat next to Ginny with a grin. "Hope you don't mind."

Ginny shook her head. "Nope, go ahead. Just be warned that at some point during the ride I might fall asleep on you, I've been known to do that before."

"Do you fall asleep on strangers often?" he teased.

"Well, actually, yes. Or at least on plane rides I do."

"What's a plane?" asked Peter, who had watched the whole scene with a certain amount of jealousy.

"They're those big metal things that fly," James supplied, looking proud for knowing the answer.

Ginny nodded. "Anyways, I always end up having to sit next to strangers, and most of the time I fall asleep on them. It's really awkward."

"Why do you sit with strangers?" Peter asked, full of questions.

"It's like a bus, a bunch of people go on the plane, most of which don't know each other," Remus answered.

"Well, you won't have to worry about falling asleep on a stranger today," Sirius said.

"Don't be so sure, I get pretty sleepy on long rides."

"I wasn't saying you wouldn't fall asleep, I just said you wouldn't fall asleep on a stranger."

"Is that right? And don't you qualify for a stranger?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sirius pretended to look hurt, shaping his face into the most adorable puppy dog face Ginny had ever seen.

"You think I'm a stranger?"

"Yep, some weird, creepy stranger," Ginny said, grinning.

"Hey! I'll get you for that one," Sirius said, reaching over to tickle her. The boy clearly had no sense of personal boundaries, although Ginny found herself okay with this. It was Sirius, after all, and she felt like she'd already known him for years.

"Fine, fine, you win," she gasped between laughs.

Sirius stopped tickling her. "I always win," he said smugly, as only an eleven year old boy could.

Ginny rolled her eyes, and made herself comfortable. It wasn't long before she fell asleep, her head resting on Sirius' shoulder, with a small smile on her lips.

James, who had watched the whole thing with amusement, pointed to Sirius and screamed, "Ew, you touched a girl." The rest of the boys laughed, and made smooching sounds at Sirius, who scowled back at them.

"Hey, if she wasn't sleeping on me, you'd be dead right now," he threatened jokingly.

"Oh really? Try me," James taunted, standing up and pretending to dance around like a boxer before a fight.

Sirius gently tilted Ginny's head off his shoulder, careful not to wake her, and stood in front of James. Remus, who had been watching the whole thing, leapt to his feet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the fight of the century. On the left, in the red, is Sirius "The Beast" Black, and on the right, in the blue, is James "The Giant" Potter." He pretended to hold a microphone as he talked, doing his best impersonation of a boxing announcer. "Let the fight begin!" He called, stepping out of the way, while the two boys wrestled playfully to the floor.

Peter stood up on the bench and cheered for James, being loud enough to wake Ginny. Ginny was confused at first, but quickly realized what was going on, and jumped onto her bench to cheer for Sirius. The match went on for a good ten minutes before the boys collapsed in laughter after Peter pretended to be a cheerleader and attempted to do a high kick, promptly losing his balance and falling on his rear.

The rest of the trip was filled with similar antics, and by the time they arrived in Hogsmeade the boys and Ginny were good friends. Ginny had even forgotten her hatred of Peter, and had befriended him, though she still was hesitant to trust him.

The boys piled out of the compartment into the rain, Sirius turning to help Ginny down.

"Lady," he said, over exaggerating a bow, "let me help your gentle self down from there." He tried to flash her a charming smile, but instead received a raindrop in his eye, making Ginny laugh.

"Oh, God, I'm blind," he screamed, pretending to stumble around.

"Looks like you're the one that needs help," she replied, jumping down and grabbing him by the arm. "Come on, I'll be your guide dog."

"Guide dog, eh?"

"Yep," Ginny said.

"So you admit that you're a dog?" Sirius joked, receiving a playful smack from Ginny.

"Hey, watch it, or I'll leave you here all alone at the mercy of the raindrops."

Sirius laughed, and started walking, his arm still intertwined with Ginny's.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, thats chapter five for ya. Hope you enjoyed it, especially the Sirius parts :) By the way, in case you didn't notice, I've changed my pen name to mischiefmaintained, just letting you know, although you probably don't care.

**rockrose:** I'm glad that caught you by surprise! I'm trying to make this a less cliche version of all the back in time fics, not that I don't love them, so anything that's surprising is always good. Thanks for taking the time to review, I reaallly appreciate it.

**harryHEARTginny:** I will definitely keep writing, although at some point the uploads may slow down a bit. Thanks for reviewing!

**The Random Reviewess: **Yeah, I actually realized that while I was writing, but it felt so redundant to repeat cores. I just figured that Ollivander, being the brilliant man he is, probably had a few tricks up his sleeve, and it seems to me that there would be a few more types of wands, but that perhaps J.K. Rowling didn't mention it. Very good catch, though! I honestly didn't think anyone would notice.. hehe. Thanks for the review! I hope that you will continue reading (and reviewing :).

Thanks,

Mischiefmaintained

P.S. Please review! Cmon... just push that little button and let me know what you think!


	6. Swimming and Sorting Hats

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and the wizarding world and all that belongs to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

Chapter Six

Swimming and Sorting Hats

"Over 'ere," a deep voice bellowed. "First years over 'ere."

Lily made her way to the source of the sound, looking up in surprise to see that the loud voice had come from a giant man with a bushy beard. He held a pink umbrella over his head, but due to his size, it did next to nothing to shield him from the rain. Behind her, Hermione and Severus stood, also staring up at the large man.

"Ello," he said, smiling widely at the three.

"Hi," Hermione called cheerily, and held out her hand to shake his much larger one. "I'm Hermione Snape."

"Rubeus Hagrid," he said gruffly, before asking the other two students for their names. He conversed with them for a few minutes, then returned to trying to gather all the first years.

After a small wait, all the first years had been found, and Hagrid led them to the lake, his giant lantern lighting the way through the stormy night. The rain had sped up from the soft sprinkle it had been when they'd gotten off the train and was now a full-blown downpour. The students huddled together, trying to keep warm, and sped towards the boats, eager to reach the safety of the castle.

Hermione, Lily, and Severus got into a boat and were later joined by Remus, who had gone ahead of the rest of his friends. He sat beside Hermione, receiving glares from the group. It was then that he realized that the sopping wet boy with a hooked nose and dark features was the boy that James and Sirius had argued with earlier. He turned to the boy, and made to apologize, but before he could the boy had already stood up to leave. The boat jerked forward at the same time, though, causing Severus to topple over, accidentally pushing Lily out of the boat and into the freezing water.

"Lily," Hermione screamed, reaching her hand out to try to grab her friend, but she wasn't fast enough. Lily's red locks had disappeared under the waves. In the next boat, James turned to see what had happened. Seeing that Lily was in the water, he immediately dove in. Severus, too, dove in, swimming steadily to where they had last seen Lily.

Both boys disappeared under the water, causing the contents of the boats to scream. Seconds went by, and still no one resurfaced. The first years began to panic, sure that their classmates had drowned. The tears halted, though, when a face broke through the water. James cradled Lily in his arms, his teeth chattering and his legs pumping hard to keep them afloat. He swam to his boat, carefully passing Lily's body up to Sirius, who immediately wrapped her in his cloak and hugged her to him.

"James, grab my hand," Ginny called, extending her arm to help him into the boat. James shook his head though, and swam back to where he had come from, his face pale and taking on a tinge of blue.

"Snivellus," he said, before taking a gasp of air, and diving back into the water. Again, he disappeared, the rest of the students holding their breath until at last he resurfaced, this time with Severus. Hermione helped to pull Severus up onto her boat, and then assisted James. Both boys laid in the bottom, coughing up water, their bodies wracking with shivers.

Hermione, seeing no other option, quickly cast a warming spell on the two boys. Ginny, realizing what Hermione had done did the same. She tried to escape the notice of the boys in the boat with her, sneakily pointing her wand under her cloak. She sighed in relief when she saw color return to Lily's face, and reached over to hug her, not minding if her robes got wet.

"Are you alright, Lils?" she asked, holding her sister close as tears streamed down her face.

Lily nodded, and hugged Ginny tighter. The two stayed in each other's embrace until they reached the shore, where Professor McGonagall met them. She took in the sight of Lily, James, and Severus, before calling for Hagrid to take them to the hospital wing immediately. Ginny let go of her sister, watching the half giant carry her off towards the castle.

"You're soaked," Sirius said, eying her robes with a frown. It was true; between the rain and Lily's soaked body, she had gotten covered in water. She had been so busy worrying that she hadn't noticed, and now that the distraction was gone she began to shiver violently. Sirius did as well, having given his cloak to Lily while on the boat. He looked at her a moment longer, his gray eyes concerned, before wrapping his arm around her. "Come on, let's go," he said, pulling her closer to him and starting up the hill.

They walked briskly, reaching the entrance hall as quickly as they could. Once they were inside Sirius dropped his arm, and grinned at her. "Well, it looks like we've survived our first night." Ginny smiled and nodded, and was about to reply, when Peter interjected his protest.

"Don't be too sure," he said, his eyes wide, "we've still got to survive the sorting."

Sirius groaned, his mood turning foul. Ginny, realizing this, gave him some room, and left to find Hermione.

She found her standing with Remus in silence, and quickly ran to her and hugged her. "I'm sorry for earlier," she began, but Hermione shook her head with a smile.

"It's fine, Ginny. I just hope they're all okay," she trailed off.

"They will be," Remus said softly.

Hermione smiled up at him, about to reply, but was unable to due to Professor McGonagall calling for their attention. She quickly went over what to do once they entered the hall, and led the first years into the great hall.

Sirius and Peter had come up to join Remus, Lily, and Ginny, and stood beside them nervously. They watched as Professor McGonagall placed a stool in front of the four long tables, and placed a worn hat on top of it. She stepped back, and stared at the hat expectantly.

The first years, following her gaze, looked at the hat with interest. When a face appeared, many gasped. Professor Dumbledore, who sat behind them, chuckled lightly at their response to the magical hat, and settled in for the song.

_Years and years ago_

_Four wizards came together,_

_As friends not foe._

_They sat and thought_

_And founded a school_

_For you lot._

_They divided the students_

_Into four:_

_Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw,_

_Slytherin, and Gryffindor._

_Gryffindor had the brave and kind,_

_Ravenclaw selected those with strong minds,_

_Slytherin chose cunning above all else,_

_Good old Hufflepuff took the rest._

_Now these traditions carry on,_

_And each year I sing a song._

_To remind you of Hogwarts past_

_So that you are not the last._

_The words of advice I offer you_

_Are make changes where they are due._

_Use your knowledge for the light_

_Do not be afraid to do what's right._

The sorting hat's song ended, and the students clapped respectfully. Hermione and Ginny exchanged a glance at the song's contents, both seeing meaning in it. Before they could speak to one another, the sorting began, with Professor McGonagall calling forward Angela Ackelby, who was sorted into Ravenclaw.

A few more students were called forward, and soon it was Sirius' name that was called. The Slytherin table cheered loudly in anticipation, and he sat down uncomfortably on the stool, the large hat falling over his eyes. It seemed to take longer for him to be sorted than it had for the other students, but surely enough he was sorted into Gryffindor. The Slytherins booed this, but Sirius ignored them, looking pleased. He quickly made his way to the table, sitting down and accepting the congratulations of his new housemates.

More students were sorted, the special ordeal taking a long time as it always did.

"Ginny Evans," Professor McGonagall called, and Ginny stood up and walked calmly to the stool. She gently picked up the hat and placed it on her head.

"Ah another Weasley," the hat said to her. "I thought you were introduced as an Evans? Interesting." Ginny thought hard, focusing on Gryffindor, and trying to block the rest of her mind from the hat. "Now, now, that won't do. I can see what you're trying to do, and I assure you I already know you're from the future." Ginny's jaw dropped.

"How? How did you know?"

"You forget who you're talking to. I know everything that passes through your mind and everything that ever has. And yes, my song was directed at you and your friend, to answer your question."

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Just put me in Gryffindor already," she muttered, sick of the hat searching through her mind and finding things she did not particularly care to share with anyone.

"Oh fine, but some day you'll come to me asking for help," the hat warned, before roaring to the entire hall "GRYFFINDOR!"

Ginny got up with a grin and crossed over to sit beside Sirius, who high fived her enthusiastically. The rest of the sorting dragged on, with Remus and Peter being sorted into Gryffindor as well.

Finally it was Hermione's turn to be sorted, and she approached the hat.

"Ms. Granger, I presume?"

Hermione nodded, suddenly becoming nervous.

"I suppose you'd like to be put in Gryffindor with your friend, Ms. Weasley?"

"Are you sure I belong there?" Hermione asked in a small voice.

The sorting hat paused, before answering, "And what makes you think that?"

Hermione didn't answer, but she thought instead of the words Ron had said to her right before he had been killed. _I'm a Gryffindor_, he'd said proudly, _not a bloody Slytherin, and I refuse to hide here in safety while innocent people die because of me_.

The sorting hat saw the scene in her head and was quiet. It remained quiet for what seemed like ages, although it was merely seconds. Then, before she could ask it if Ron had been right, and that her and Ginny were really selfish and should be Slytherins, it opened its mouth and exclaimed "GRYFFINDOR."

Hermione refused to stand, repeating the question over and over in her mind. The hat, though, refused to answer, and instead told her to be on her way. Grudgingly, she gave in, and went to the Gryffindor table.

After a few more people, at last they reached the last name on the list and Dumbledore stood.

"I know you are hungry, so I shall wait to properly welcome you until after the feast. Dig in," Dumbledore said, his face folding into a kind smile and his eyes twinkling. He waved his hand, and food appeared, the students clapped, and the feast began.

The boys ate hungrily, stuffing themselves with every type of food imaginable. Hermione and Ginny watched in awe, surprised at just how much they could eat. The food was delicious, but there was only so much room in one's stomach, and the amount of food the boys had devoured was nothing short of impressive.

As the boys ate, Ginny watched Hermione curiously. Although the rest of her friends had not noticed, Ginny had observed Hermione's pause after being sorted.

"What was that about?" she whispered to her friend between bites of mashed potatoes. Hermione shook her head, promising to tell her after the feast in private. Ginny groaned but agreed, before turning to ask Peter to pass the pumpkin pie, one of her favorites.

After they had finally eaten their heart's desire, and the entire student body had finished, Dumbledore stood once more.

"Welcome new students, and welcome back familiar faces. I'd like to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is, as always, forbidden." At this, Mr. Filch clapped happily, causing the majority of the students to glare at him. Dumbledore smiled, though, and continued on with his speech. "As well as issuing the normal warnings, I'd also like to issue a warm welcome to our newest defense against the dark arts teacher, Professor Markus Hendrick."

A man dressed in simple navy robes stood and waved, before sitting down quickly beside Professor Sprout.

The students clapped, many of them covering yawns. Dumbledore, realizing this, said a few more words, before sending them off to rest. The Gryffindor prefects proudly stood and called for the new students to follow them, and made their way to the common room.

The group followed, Hermione and Ginny doing their best to look amazed as the prefects pointed out various magical aspects of the castle. At last, they reached the portrait of the fat lady, and filed in.

The common room was almost exactly the way they remembered it, and was as warm and inviting as always. Maroon couches littered the room, accompanied by squishy armchairs and thick rugs. The wall was lined with various portraits, as well as a bulletin board, and a hanging rug depicting a rearing lion. Small tables occupied the rest of the room, as well as various other types of furniture.

The students did not linger in the common room, though, and instead quickly retreated to their rooms. Hermione and Ginny climbed the stairs to their room, and quickly took the beds they had inhabited when they'd been in the dormitory. Once they'd chosen their beds, their trunks appeared at the foot of them, and a gleaming gold script spelled their names out on the headboard.

Lily was still in the hospital wing, so Ginny and Hermione carefully dragged her trunk to rest at the foot of the bed next to Ginny's. It was good timing, too, because a few minutes later four more girls came in and claimed the rest of the beds.

"Alice Longbottom," the girl with the thick brown hair said with a hesitant smile. Ginny and Hermione exchanged a glance before grinning at her enthusiastically.

"It's nice to meet you," Ginny said, before turning to the three other girls.

A girl with curly blonde hair stepped forward to introduce herself as Annabelle, and another with straight brown hair introduced herself as Janine.

"I'm Katie," the third girl said, nervously running her fingers through her long, dark hair.

Ginny looked around at the girls, and grinned dangerously. Hermione, recognizing the grin, rolled her eyes.

"I've got an idea," Ginny said, still grinning. "Who's up for a round of truth or dare?"

The girls looked at each other, before enthusiastically agreeing. They settled in a circle on the floor, glancing at each other awkwardly.

"Well, who wants to go first?" Annabelle asked, trying to get the game started.

"Me," Katie said, barely beating Ginny, and sticking her tongue out at the redhead. "Okay, so, Janine, truth or dare?"

The girls played truth or dare for the next hour, getting to know each other and laughing at the interesting questions and responses they shared. When it became midnight, they resigned to bed, falling to sleep quickly, all of their fears of earlier in the night forgotten. They had found friends, a welcoming house, and more importantly, a spot for themselves within Hogwarts.

Hermione, however, did not go to sleep immediately, and instead waited for the breathing of her roommates to slow. Once she was sure they were asleep, she crept to Ginny's bed and shook her awake, placing a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.

"What?" Ginny whispered, grumpy that she had been woken up.

"Follow me," Hermione said, before slowly making her way across the room to the door. Once they had made their way to the common room, Hermione sat down in her favorite spot in front of the fire. Ginny joined her, and waited for her to speak.

"Earlier, during the feast, you asked about what happened during the sorting," Hermione stated, looking into the fire.

Ginny nodded, "Go on."

"Well, I didn't want to tell you earlier, it's a bit embarrassing, but after what Ron said," her voice broke and she trailed off. Ginny patted her back and waited for her to continue, knowing that it would take some time. Although it had been years, she didn't think either of them would ever fully heal after losing so much.

"Anyways, you remember what Ron said, right? About how he was a Gryffindor, not a Slytherin," Hermione said quietly. Ginny nodded. "Well, after he said that, and after we came back and all, I couldn't stop thinking and wondering if maybe I should have been in Slytherin. After all, it was me who led you guys away; it was me who didn't stop to help everyone. I just kept going, too concerned about my own damn life to think about everyone else's." Hermione's voice was filled with self-loathing, and an angry tear trickled down her cheek.

Ginny stared at her friend, trying to think how best to respond. She had, herself, thought similar things, and she knew that nearly all excuses she came up with were inadequate and only caused her more pain.

"Hermione, I don't know what to say, or what can be said, all I know is that we were sorted into Gryffindor. We must be here for some reason, we must belong here, otherwise the sorting hat wouldn't have put us here."

She stopped speaking, though, when she heard the stairs creak behind them, and a voice asked, "What's going on? Who's Ron?"

* * *

**A/N:** Ooo cliffhanger! Muahaha I'm so evil! Anyways, that my friends, is chapter six. Hope you enjoyed it, please let me know what you thought about it. Oh, and don't worry, I didn't forget about poor Severus, James, and Lily in the hospital wing, they'll be coming back next chapter. Also, thanks to everyone who has favorited/alerted my story, I really appreciate it. But a bigger thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are seriously AMAZING. Please continue to review! It really helps me get an idea of how things are going and stuff, and also keeps me motivated, so pleaaaase review!

**Pandora:** Yep, you are definitely right, owls are not magical... eh well I'm too lazy to go back and change it now unless it seriously bugs you. My updates will probably slow down a bit, unfortunately, because my schoolwork is getting to be quite the load and I have a trip to Spain coming up, so I'll be gone for a week and half or so. I try to write as many chapters as I can over the weekend, and then post, but I'm pretty sure at some point I will get behind :(

**harryHEARTginny:** Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you thought it was cute, I know I did... gotta love Sirius hehe.

Thanks,

Mischiefmaintained

P.S. Review por favor! Escribame! Gracias! (Translated, for those, like many of my friends, who either don't know or completely fail at Spanish, it means: Review please! Write me! Thank you!)


	7. Spying and Crying

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, all J.K. Rowlings.

_

* * *

_

Chapter Seven

Spying and Crying

_"What's going on? Who's Ron?"_

Hermione and Ginny spun to face the intruder, hands flying to grasp their wands firmly.

The figure stepped down from the stairwell, the light from the fire washing over him, revealing his identity. Sirius stood before them, his long hair creased by sleep, his gray eyes wide with curiosity and a spark of anger.

"So? Who is this bloke?"

"Nobody important," Hermione said coldly, trying her best to keep her voice from shaking. She had just said the most inaccurate and hurtful thing of her life; Ron was the opposite of unimportant. He was one of the most important people she had ever met in her life. He meant so much to her, so much more than anyone or anything. Her throat burned and she concentrated on not crying, instead focusing her energy on the boy in front of her. Sirius Black. Another important person, yet he was not so important now. He was merely a boy, a meddlesome boy, and she was done being patient with him. The future Sirius and this one were different; she owed nothing to this child. "Besides, it's not your right to know. Mind your own business, you dirty mongrel," she spat.

Sirius stared at her, his hands curling into fists at his side. "It's Dumbledore's right to know."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you know what I mean," Sirius replied, his voice a sharp edge.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms. "What?"

"You're guilty of something. That much I know, and I'm going to know more, I swear. I'm watching you, and as soon as I find out what you're up to, I'm going straight to Dumbledore."

Hermione gaped at him, but Ginny stepped in before Hermione could respond.

"Sirius, stop. I'll tell you about Ron."

"No, Ginny, you can't," Hermione said harshly, warning her not to.

"We have to. Sirius, sit down." Sirius complied, settling down, staring at her and waiting for her to begin.

"Ron was my older brother."

"_Was_?" Sirius questioned, still suspicious.

Ginny nodded. "Yes, was. He was killed by death eaters, and Hermione saved me. I-I wanted to stay with Ron, to mourn, but she made me leave before the death eaters could kill us. If it hadn't been for her I would've died."

Ginny began crying softly, her emotional wounds torn open once more. Everything from that fateful day came crashing back to her, overwhelmingly harsh and violent. Hermione, too, was overtaken by raw emotion, and silently left, wishing for a more private place in which to control her feelings.

Sirius was shocked by the display, but silently stood and moved to sit next to Ginny on the couch. He sat awkwardly for a few minutes, before slowly pulling her into a hug, letting her cry into his pajama top. They stayed there, Ginny holding onto Sirius as if her life depended on it, and Sirius trying his best to comfort her. At last, Ginny regained control and eased out of the embrace.

"I'm sorry, Sirius, I-"

"No, don't be sorry. Never be sorry."

She nodded, and hugged him tightly once more. Sirius returned the hug, but soon shrugged out of it, jumping to his feet and grabbing Ginny's hand.

"Come on, let's go visiting," he said with his trademark grin.

"Who are we going to visit?" Ginny asked, a small smile breaking across her face.

"Oh, you'll see," he said, before gently tugging her out of the portrait hole and into the dark halls.

* * *

**A/N:** Ok so that was pretty much the shortest chapter ever, sorry guys! I just wanted to get it updated, it's been way too long. School's finally out, so the story should pick up again, and I'll try to get some more (longer) chapters up soon. Thanks to my awesome reviewers, by the way! **Morghen, Dora Penmoko, Pandora, elfspirit7, Ray Venn Hakubi, **and **pixieVAMP393** you guys are all amazing and thank you so much for reviewing.

Please review some more! Heh, gotta love reviews :)

MischiefMaintained


	8. Common Room Comforting

**Disclaimer: **Not mine... J.K. Rowling's... you get the idea.

* * *

Chapter Eight

Common Room Comforting

Hermione breathed deeply, curled into a tight ball upon her bed. The curtains, drawn around her, were a deep scarlet boundary, isolating her from everything. She did not welcome the separation like she thought she would, but rather found it chilling and lonely. She had retreated away from Ginny and Sirius in search of privacy, as she often did when faced with emotional torment, but this was different. This time she really was alone. In first year, she had hid in the bathroom to cry, but she hadn't been alone. She'd known, somehow, that Ron and Harry would be there for her. But in her first year as one Hermione Snape, it was not so. She had no one.

Ginny had abandoned her for Sirius. Severus was in the hospital wing, and even if he was not, it was unlikely that he would wish to associate with a Gryffindor. The marauders were all immature, bullying jerks, and Lily was sure to side with Ginny.

Hermione sighed and slowly unwound herself, dropping her feet to the cool flagstone floor. If she could not find a friend here, then she would find a way out.

After descending the stairs to the common room, Hermione waved her wand, lighting a few candles. A boy sat in a plush armchair, and Hermione approached him.

"Sirius, look I wanted to apologize," she began, but then saw she had guessed the boy's identity wrongly. Instead of Sirius, who had apparently departed, Remus sat before her. "Oh, hi Remus. Sorry, though you were someone else," she muttered, her cheeks bearing a blush.

Remus smiled at her. "No problem." He gestured at the seat across from his, and she obliged. "Can't sleep?" he questioned.

Hermione shook her head, and they sat together in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"So," Remus said, his voice soft, "what do you need to apologize to Sirius for?"

Hermione sighed. "I... er, well I snapped at him earlier. I really shouldn't have, but you know."

Remus nodded in understanding. "That's alright, happens to everyone. He'll understand, he's a decent bloke."

Hermione smiled at him. "Yeah, yeah he is. So, why are you up?"

Remus shrugged. "Well, I happened to notice that one of my roommates went missing."

Hermione grinned. "And which one would that be?"

"The notorious Sirius Black, of course," Remus said, beaming.

Hermione laughed heartily at his unknowing joke, truly enjoying his company.

"Well, I think I may know where he is. When I yelled at him earlier he was with Ginny. She didn't come back to our dormitory, so they're probably exploring the castle or something."

"Wouldn't put it past Sirius to do that," muttered Remus. "Eh, well, looks like we'd better go find them before they get in trouble. Come on, let's go."

Hermione agreed, and they stepped out into the halls, guessing randomly at which direction their two friends had gone.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so there's another chapter for you guys! Yay! Sorry that the recent chapters have been so ridiculously short, I promise I'll try to make them longer and also update more often. I just got a new laptop, so that should help, seeing as my old computer managed to randomly delete things... not good. Anyways, I hope everyone is liking the story so far, and I look forward to hearing from people in reviews! So hit that little button, write a little note, and make me happy! :)

And also a HUGE thank you to everyone who reviewed, you guys really made my day and made me think about some things that I hadn't previously.

**LilyEvansForever**:I'm honestly not sure if Lily and James are going to die or not, I still haven't decided, but we will see. I really don't want to kill them off, I love them both, but it might have to happen... who knows? I tried to shift the focus in this chapter a little more to Hermione, and I'll probably try to switch off between them each chapter. So far it's been a little more Ginny, but I'll try to keep it even-ish. Also, thanks for the tip about Tobias Snape. I forgot about that heh. I would also like to add that Sirius does not necessarily know all the details, he just knows that there was an attack and Ron died. He doesn't know what happened or when it happened yet, just that there was some sort of incident. And yes, I will try to slow down Sirius and Ginny. Right now they are purely friends, nothing more, and for the first bit I think Ginny will actually think of him as somewhat of a brother. She definitely is not leaving Ron, Hermione, and Harry for Sirius, so don't worry about that! Thank you so much for all your reviews on various chapters, your comments were really helpful and I hope that you will keep reading and reviewing.

**Ray Venn Hakubi**: Yeah, it was a pretty skimpy chapter, but I just wanted to get it up and get going again. The rest will (hopefully) be longer, and more like the length of the first few chapters. I hope that Hermione doesn't seem like as much of a meanie pants after this chapter. I tried to explain where she was coming from a bit more, and I promise she will not be angry all the time, because that's just not Hermione. Thanks for the review!

**Dora Penmoko**: Well, Sirius doesn't really know where they're from at all, just some minor details. It's too early to give things away to the other characters... need to have some more sneaking around first! Thank you for the review! Please continue to review!

**Ichigo Sanero**: I'm glad you think them starting over is cool! I wasn't sure if that would be just be annoying or if it would add to the story, so I'm glad you like it. Thank you so much for the review! You are awesome!

**randaru102**: Please don't lock yourself in your room! I will try my best to finish this, but it might be awhile, as I have a lot planned out for it. I will definitely be updating pretty often though, so no worries there. I'm glad you liked the story, and I will read yours soon! I'm actually not sure how to message people on this (I'm a bit of a fanfiction noob) but if I knew how I would! Thank you for your review, it was very encouraging, and I really hope you continue reviewing.

**pixieVAMP393**: Yep, I'm glad I updated too! Thank you for the review! Keep reading and reviewing, please!

Ok, so that's the end of the most ridiculously long author's note ever. Anyways, thank you all for reading, and please review and get back to me with some more comments/suggestions/compliments/complaints/whatever.

Thanks,

Mischief Maintained


	9. Games and Guilt

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter is not mine... I wish. Yep, all J.K. Rowling's.

* * *

Chapter Nine

Games and Guilt

Ginny and Sirius had been wandering around the castle for the past hour or so, and had only just arrived in the corridor leading to the hospital wing. The time spent winding through the halls of Hogwarts had been agonizingly slow to Ginny, who knew the fastest route, but was unable to say so seeing as it was supposed to be her first day at Hogwarts. Instead, she had tried to slowly lead Sirius in the general direction, occasionally throwing in wrong turns just in case it looked like she knew where she was going. At long last, they arrived at the door marked to be the hospital wing.

"Ready?" she asked Sirius, who answered her with a devilish grin that said nothing but mischief. "Okay, here we go."

Ginny slowly pulled the door open, taking care to be as quiet as possible so as not to rouse Madam Pomfrey. After pausing briefly so that her eyes could adjust to the dark, Ginny surveyed the room. It was the same as she had last seen it; stark white walls, numerous beds, cleaned to perfection. The only thing that had changed were the students occupying the beds. It was odd to be in the hospital wing without Harry, Ron, or Hermione in one of the beds. The three certainly had a knack for getting in trouble, which was most often accompanied with injury. A wave of homesickness and sadness washed over her, and her eyes began to water the slightest amount.

"Uh, Ginny, you okay?" Sirius questioned, his gray eyes filled with concern.

Ginny nodded, blinking away her tears and forcing herself to move forward. She approached the beds which she presumed were occupied, judging by the curtains pulled tightly around them. Sirius bounced along beside her, eager to see his friend.

"James, how ya doin', buddy?" Sirius exclaimed, tugging the white curtains open to see his friend, who glared up at him from his bed.

"Well, I was a lot better before _someone _woke me up."

Sirius shrugged, unperturbed by his friend's annoyance with him.

Ginny, who had watched the whole thing with amusement, smiled at James.

"Hey," he greeted her, his face breaking out into a smile just like Harry's. Ginny stared at him, taking in his face, his smile, everything. It was so similar to Harry, all except for the eyes.

Sirius cleared his throat, and Ginny broke out of her trance, quickly looking away from James. Judging by the awkward silence that followed, it was clear to Ginny that she had just been caught staring at James for an extended period of time.

"Oh, um, sorry. I think I'll go talk to Lily," she muttered, quickly making an escape before they could see the blush that had spread across her face. Lily's bed was next to James', and Ginny quietly slipped in through the curtains to visit her sister.

"Hey, Lils," she said, running to the bed to give her a hug.

"Ginny what are you doing here? You're not supposed to be out of the dormitories at this hour," Lily scolded, although her smile ruined the effect. It was clear that she was pleased to have a visitor, no matter which rules were being broken.

Ginny just rolled her eyes, choosing not to call her out. "Whatever. Anyways, how are you?"

"I'm fine, I was just a little cold earlier. That lake was freezing! But Madam Pomfrey gave me a potion, which tasted horrible by the way, but it cleared everything up. Magic is so wonderful!"

Ginny laughed heartily at Lily's exclamation. Magic was, indeed, wonderful.

The two continued talking for quite some time, their voices accompanied by those of Sirius and James, who had continued chatting and joking around after the awkwardness of Ginny's stare. She could only hope that they would forget about it in the near future; she really did not need James thinking she liked him. That was just way too awkward.

Meanwhile, Hermione and Remus were exploring the many levels of Hogwarts, Hermione faced with the same dilemma as Ginny had been before. She, of course, was able to successfully navigate all of Hogwarts, however she was not supposed to have this skill yet. It was not quite so frustrating, though, as she had no clue where Sirius and Ginny had gone. _If only I had the marauders map_, she thought, looking over at Remus slyly. She had always wondered how they'd created it, and it looked like, if she played her cards right, she might be able to witness it's creation.

Remus, who had noticed her looking at him, blushed slightly. Hermione pretended not to notice, instead faking interest in a portrait of an old wizard pulling a rabbit out of his hat. Remus followed her look, and laughed softly.

"Just like muggle magic," he said, almost fondly.

Hermione nodded. "Yep."

"When I was little, my dad used to take me to magic shows. My mum would never come though, she said it was all baloney," he said, his eyes far away.

"Well, it is a little cheesy," Hermione replied.

"Cheesy, yes, but baloney, no. I think it's fascinating how muggles do it. All the trickery involved, and it all seems real. I've no clue how they manage it."

Hermione laughed, "I've never really thought about it that way. But you're right, it really is something."

Remus grinned, and began walking once more, Hermione joining him.

"So, do you have any clue which part of the castle we're in?"

Hermione shrugged, faking confusion. "No idea. They really should give us maps, this place is huge." She carefully snuck in the map, hoping that it would register in his mind, and eventually provide fuel for creating the marauders map.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Guess it's too late now though. We're pretty well lost, I'd say."

Hermione nodded in agreement, before suggesting they take a right turn. It would at least lead them back in the direction of their common room, as it was doubtful they'd find Sirius and Ginny at this point. Knowing Ginny, and having heard tales of Sirius' times in Hogwarts, it was unlikely that they would locate them anytime soon. They were probably up to something, possibly a prank, although it was a little early in the year for them to start their troublemaking.

"I don't think we're going to find them," Hermione announced.

"Or our way back," Remus added.

A light chuckle sounded from behind them, and they quickly turned to face where it had come from. Down the hall stood Dumbledore, in his bathrobe, along with bunny slippers.

"Hello," he greeted them, walking towards them, his eyes twinkling.

"Professor," Remus said, ducking his head, expecting a lecture and a detention. The headmaster, however, did not suggest either of the two, and instead chuckled once more.

"Mr. Lupin, do not worry I will not be giving you and Ms. Snape a detention. I simply would like to know why it is that you are not in your dormitories?"

"We got a bit lost, professor," Hermione explained.

"Ah, yes. I assure you that you are not the first to become disoriented in this castle. I, myself, spent the entire first week of my first year wandering about the dungeons in search of the library. Of course it was a lovely venture, the decorating was really quite superb."

Hermione laughed heartily, joined by Remus. Dumbledore really hadn't changed a bit in all his years at Hogwarts.

"Now, if you'd be so kind as to follow me, I will show you back to your common room."

The three made their way slowly through the castle, Dumbledore pointing out and describing different features as they went. Hermione, although she had spent years in the castle in the future, was still surprised by the many things she did not know. The history of portraits, various secret passages, and much more were all knew to her, and she tried to absorb as much of it as she could. When they arrived back at the Fat Lady, Hermione found herself disappointed that the tour was over.

"Thank you, professor," she said, and he responded with a nod and a warm smile.

"My pleasure, now goodnight." He went down the hall, vanishing around the corner, leaving Hermione and Remus alone in front of the portrait. The two looked at each other for a few seconds, then climbed through the portrait hole, waved goodnight, and proceeded to their rooms for a fresh night's sleep.

The next day Hermione woke to the sounds of the rest of her dorm mates preparing for the day and grudgingly forced herself out of bed. Normally she was an early riser, but due to her late night she was not particularly happy to see that the day was beginning.

"Good morning," Alice greeted her.

"Morning," Hermione yawned.

The rest of the girls were either in the bathroom or had already departed for breakfast, and Hermione quickly pulled clothing on, tamed her hair, brushed her teeth, and grabbed her book bag.

"All ready?" Alice asked, and with a nod from Hermione, began to descend the stairs.

"Thanks for waiting for me," Hermione said.

"Oh, no problem. I'm sure you would've done the same. Besides, who wants to start out the year by getting lost on the way to breakfast? I know I would get lost if I tried to go alone."

Hermione laughed, and then told Alice of her adventure the previous night, leaving out choice parts of it, and telling her that she had forgotten something in the great hall instead of telling her that she'd been searching for her friends. Alice laughed along, and the two arrived at the Gryffindor table as friends. They quickly found the rest of the girls and sat with them to eat.

"Hey, guys," Katie greeted them.

"Where's Ginny?"

They all shrugged, none of them quite sure of the whereabouts of the redhead. As if on cue, Ginny entered the hall, accompanied by Lily. Hermione rolled her eyes; she should've known Ginny would have snuck out to visit Lily.

The rest of the girls were not so quick as to have figured out Ginny's whereabouts, and sure enough, she had been in the hospital wing. This raised the question of why, and soon Lily was introduced to the group.

"Oh, I can't believe that was you that fell in. That must've been so terrifying," Annabelle said, her blue eyes wide.

"It was," Lily said, "but I'm fine now, so it's all in the past."

"Yeah, you're fine now thanks to that boy," Katie said dreamily. "He was soo cute!"

Lily rolled her eyes, "He's all yours."

"Who's all hers?" James voice asked out of nowhere.

"Nobody," Lily scowled. "Now go away."

Katie, who was very much wanting James to stay, kicked Lily under the table, and patted the bench beside her, inviting James to join.

James smiled smugly at Lily and began to pile food onto his plate. Sirius soon joined them, and a few minutes before breakfast was to end Remus and Peter appeared, breathing heavily.

"Oh, thank God there's still food. I thought we'd miss breakfast for sure," Remus huffed, grabbing a slice of toast and buttering it before devouring it in record speed. Peter smiled hesitantly, before sitting down to join them. His round face was red and it was clear he was not in top shape, and after watching him eat a stack of five pancakes, Hermione had a good idea why that was.

At last, everyone, including Peter, had finished eating, and was ready to start their first day at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall, seeing that they had finished, made her way to them, handed out schedules, and shooed them off to class.

They all had their first class, defense against the dark arts, together, but split up later in the day. Hermione was pleased to see that the majority of her classes were with Lily and Remus, and about half of them with Ginny. James and Sirius had the exact same schedule, also sharing classes with Ginny. Peter, it seemed, was not with any one particular person for the majority of the day, and instead shared a few classes with each member of their group.

Upon arriving at the defense against the dark arts classroom, Ginny took a seat next to Hermione leaving Lily to sit with Janine. Sirius and James sat behind them, with Remus and Peter close by. On the opposite side of the room, Slytherins occupied the desks, occasionally sending glares over to the Gryffindors.

The professor, who had yet to introduce himself, sat at his desk observing his class. He was dressed rather casually, and sat with his feet propped up in relaxation. Although his body language did not suggest that this man meant any harm, there was something oddly intimidating about him. His eyes, a sharp brown, were alert and watching, and it was clear to Hermione that he was listening to some of the conversations taking place within the room. Before she could point this out to Ginny, though, the man stood and made his way to the front of the classroom. The class, seeing his movement, went quiet.

"Hello, class. Welcome to defense against the dark arts. My name is Daniel Donovan, and I will be your professor. You may call me Professor, Donovan, even Donny, but please do not call me Professor Donny. It just sounds too weird."

The class laughed hesitantly, quickly stopping to let him continue.

"So, to start off the year, I thought it would be best for each of us to get to know one another. For that reason, I've set up a little game. It will be played in groups, which I've created based on certain features that people have in common."

He continued to list off names, directing them to different corners of the room. Once he had finished sorting the room, he waved his wand, making giant tables appear. Each group sat down at their own table, and Ginny was pleased to find that she had been placed in the same group as James and Sirius. A few burly Slytherin boys were in their group as well, along with Katie.

In Hermione's group were Remus, Lily, Annabelle, and a few Slytherins including Severus. Peter's group consisted entirely of Gryffindor students, and in another group there were only Slytherins.

The group selection seemed random, however according to Donovan there was some correlation between the students, and some reason they were together. Most of the students forgot about his words, though, and were more focused on the game than discovering what bonded each group together.

"Alright, now that we have our groups, I will explain the rules of the game, give you a few minutes for strategizing, and then I will set you loose to play. So, in this game you are stranded on an island, alone with your group. There are wild boars living on the island with you, and they are one of your only sources of food. The more boars you can kill, the longer you will survive. Each year, the boars have more young, and the process starts once more. However, if each person kills too many for himself, the boars will go extinct, and everyone will starve. The goal of this exercise is to decide, in your group, what the most efficient way of hunting will be to insure survival. Understand?"

The class nodded, and after the professor told them to begin, they started strategizing immediately. Donovan strolled between the tables, carefully observing each group. After fifteen minutes, he called for silence.

"Very good. Now, it is the end of class today, but tomorrow we will start the game. Your homework tonight will be to strategize further if needed. Good luck."

The class made sounds of disappointment at the end of the class, as they had all become rather excited for the game and had hoped to play it that day. They had been so involved that they had forgotten about the rest of the classes, and faced their next class of potions with a groan.

Professor Slughorn was teaching, and although he was nothing in comparison to Snape's bitter personality, he was still not the most likeable man. He had, of course, picked out Hermione and Ginny as favorites by the end of class. Their skill was much greater than that of the other students, as they had learned the course material and much more complicated potions years ago. Lily, too, was a favorite, and clearly had natural talent in potion making. Peter, unfortunately, was the opposite, and managed to blow up his potion in James' face, which caused laughter and congratulations from a large portion of the class, including Lily.

"Peter, excellent work with that potion," Sirius said, clapping Peter on his back.

James scowled at him and Peter, before turning to Ginny and Remus. "Hey guys, I've got an idea," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

"What?"

"Well, I think a bit of revenge is in order. A little shenanigans, if you will."

The remainder of the day passed quickly, but not without entertainment. Sirius, who had overheard James' declaration of revenge, had been rather jumpy for most of the day. Peter was outright afraid, and had taken to hiding behind Ginny, as he apparently was unaware of her involvement in the plan. This had not gone particularly well for him, and Ginny was beginning to become aggravated with the boy.

Sirius, sensing her darkening mood, stepped in before she snapped.

"Uh, Peter, maybe you should hide behind someone else. Can't you find better protection? No offense, Gin."

Ginny shrugged. "None taken."

Peter paused, unsure of whether to argue or not. He decided it was safe, and began to make his case. "Well, she's not very big or scary, but I don't think James would mess with her."

"Why's that?" Ginny asked, confused.

"Well, you're Lily's twin, " Peter supplied, as if it were obvious.

Realization dawned on Sirius and Ginny, and they started cracking up. Peter looked proud for having come up with such good logic, but the look went away quickly as he realized that he had just spilt one of his new friend's secrets.

"Uh oh," he said, before scurrying away, muttering something about hiding in a bathroom.

Ginny and Sirius watched as he left, exchanged a glance, and shrugged it off as normal. The group had only known each other for a day, yet they had already come to accept all sorts of random things from everyone.

"Well, I guess that gets rid of him," Sirius commented.

"Yep," Ginny said. "I guess so."

"Now there's one last thing to get rid of," Sirius said with a smirk. "That evil little plot of yours."

"Good luck with that."

"Oh, I won't be needing good luck," Sirius grinned.

"Suit yourself. There's no way you're going to find out. James and Remus will never tell you."

Sirius began to laugh, somewhat evilly, causing passing students to stare at him strangely and comment on how the first years got weirder every year.

"Yes, well they'll never tell me. But _you_ will."

"Uh huh. And Professor Dumbledore will dance the polka in a clown suit while wearing heels."

Sirius looked at her strangely, then appeared to be considering the image of the headmaster. "Well, then I guess I have a pretty good chance of you telling me."

Ginny frowned. Her comment hadn't really had the full effect she had hoped for, as Dumbledore doing the polka in a clown suit was something that wouldn't exactly surprise her. In fact, she could more than imagine it, in all of it's scarring glory.

"Okay, maybe that wasn't a great way to put it. But no, I'm not going to tell you."

"Oh yeah? Well if you don't, then I'll tell James that you like him!"

Ginny froze, staring at Sirius in disgust. "What? Are you serious? Me? Like James? Oh God, no!"

Sirius looked at her with interest, and something else that she couldn't quite identify. "Wait, so you don't like James?"

"Of course I don't! That'd just be too… weird," Ginny responded, disgusted at the thought of liking Harry's father. It was just wrong in so many ways.

"Oh, sorry. I just thought, 'cause you know, you were staring at him last night, and well, I don't know," he said, running his hands through his hair nervously. He must have really meant his apology, as it wasn't often you saw the boy touch his hair, lest a single strand get out of place.

"He reminded me of someone I know, or knew, I guess."

"Knew? Was he in the attack? From the death eaters?"

Ginny nodded, her eyes filling with tears at the thought of Harry. She ran down the hall, stopping at the room of requirement. She paced, thinking of a place that was comfy. The door appeared, and she quickly went in. Sirius, who had sprinted behind her, just barely managed to squeeze through the door before it disappeared.

"I'm so sorry, Ginny, I'm so so sorry," he said, trying to comfort her.

"I-it's okay. Wasn't y-your fault," she said between sobs.

Sirius stood staring at her, his eyes filling with sadness and guilt.

"W-what? Why are you l-looking at me like t-that?"

Sirius bowed his head, and gestured for her to sit down. He did not join her on the sofa, however, but stood pacing back and forth instead.

"Maybe it's not my fault, but it could be my family's." He turned suddenly, punching the wall violently, causing blood to leak from fists. "Damnit, it could've been them." He continued to assault the wall, punching it over and over, letting loose his anger on it. Ginny watched him fearfully. She'd never seen anyone worked up into a rage like this, and there was nothing she could do.

"Sirius, Sirius stop! You'll hurt yourself!" she cried, trying to halt him. He wouldn't though, and she threw herself in between him and the wall. He leaned forward, pinning her to it, staring intensely at her, a look that was hardly manageable by an eleven year old boy. He looked older, more mature, like he had seen and experienced more than a child should.

"Why? Why are you trying to help me? Why did you stop me from punching the wall? Why do you care if I hurt myself?" The muscles in his arms clenched up, and he pushed himself away from her, angrily kicking the couch over.

Ginny ran to him, trying to stop him again. Seeing that she had no other choice, she tackled him to the ground, and sat down beside him. He struggled to stand once more, but she pulled him back down until he gave up.

"Why, Ginny, why?" he asked, his eyes pained.

She studied his face, taking in his mouth that was turned into a frown, the creases that had appeared between his eyebrows, and last of all his stormy gray eyes that were filled with torment.

"I'm trying to help you because you are my friend. I care about you. That's what friends do."

He stared at her intensely, still. "Why? How am I your friend? My family could have killed yours. My family could be responsible for your family's death. My family—"

"Sirius, stop," Ginny said firmly, cutting him off. "It wasn't your family. Trust me. And if it was, that would make no difference. Your family isn't _you_, Sirius. Their choices are not yours. They may be death eaters, but_ you_ aren't. And that's all that matters to me."

Sirius looked up at her, not looking away for what felt like forever but was really only a few seconds. Then, he wrapped his arms around her in a huge hug, refusing to let go. They sat on the floor, holding onto each other, crying and mourning their pasts.

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, how's that for a fast update? I thought this was a rather solid chapter - good length, decent amount of stuff going on. I tried to focus on developing characters in this chapter, as I know that when I read what really makes a story good are the characters. I'm not sure if I've done a good job of this so far, but I am trying, so give me a little credit for effort. Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter, as reviews really are what keep me motivated, updating, and improving.

Also, a HUGE thanks to the wonderful reviewers!

**randaru102**: Yes, the couples are very exciting! I can't wait! I need to get them through a bit more of the plot first though, as I think it's kind of weird for first years to be having relationships. For the first while they will be just friends, although I am highly anticipating the time when they can... shall we say, progress? Anyways, thank you so very much for your review! I think that was record time after uploading a new chapter, really really amazing of you!

**Dora Penmoko**: Remus and Lily will eventually find out (How couldn't they? They're both brilliant!), but it will be awhile. They're still first years, so they will be distracted for awhile with all the changes, but you have correctly predicted them finding out. Of course you don't know how, so I still have some tricks up my sleeve so it's not completely predictable.. muahaha :) Thanks so much for the review! You are seriously awesome!

**elfspirit7**: Well, here's a quick update for you! Hope you liked it! Thanks for the review :)

**jeremiahlovesmichelle**: I'm glad you like my story so far! And yes, Remus and Hermione will end up a couple... eventually. Thank you so much for the review!

**Monnbeam**: I'm trying to even things out, but Ginny is _slightly_ more important to the storyline at this point in time. I have tried to write in more for Hermione, like in this chapter, and I will continue to do so in further chapters, but it will not always be perfectly split between the two. Hermione is a better witch, as you pointed out, and probably would be more important in a situation like this, but she was also developed more in the books than Ginny was. This makes it hard for me to capture her personality, because she was made into a very unique character by J.K. Rowling and I want to try to stay true to that character. Ginny is easier for me to write, as there are not quite so many layers to her. As for Severus, he is not my favorite, but I will try to be nice to him! I really will try, but no promises as to me succeeding. There will definitely be more of him to come, so we'll see how that goes. Thank you very much for your review! It's reviews like yours that really do help me to shape my story and improve in my writing, so thank you very very much. Please continue to review!

Okay, well I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review telling me what you think, blah, blah, blah.

Thanks,

Mischief Maintained

P.S. Reviewww!


	10. The Chapter With No Name

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, all J.K. Rowling's.

* * *

Chapter Ten

(The Chapter With No Name)

Hermione sat in the common room with Alice, politely listening to her talk. Normally she would have relished this opportunity to bond, especially with someone as significant as Neville's mother, but her mind was elsewhere. For the past day she had pretended that everything between her and Ginny was fine, when it was not. Every time she saw the redhead, she was filled with fiery fury, almost as if a Hungarian Horntail had inhabited her chest. It would roar to life, beating and fighting it's way through her torso, trying to get out and attack Ginny.

She had managed to restrain it, just barely, but she knew it was destined to come out. A confrontation was soon approaching, and it was best that she be prepared to wage war. This argument between her and Ginny was likely to be the most significant of their friendship; there were multiple tender topics that she knew she would have to breach, none of which would be easy for her or Ginny to face.

With a sigh, Hermione resigned herself to thinking of ways to communicate her thoughts to Ginny without ending the friendship, and returned to her current conversation with Alice.

"And I think those boys, you know that one that saved Lily, and that other one that your friend seems to be fond of, they're just plain obnoxious."

Hermione laughed at Alice's words, and couldn't help but agreeing. She had initially been excited to meet them, but it had gotten to the point where she dreaded them. Granted they were eleven year old boys, but they had been nothing but obnoxious, and left her wondering how exactly she had managed to be best friends with two boys her first time around at Hogwarts. Then again, Harry and Ron had been much calmer compared to the troublemakers that inhabited the castle currently.

"Well, let's just hope they grow out of it," she supplied, having met the older Sirius and knowing that he at least would.

"I don't know, my older brother Arnold is sixteen and he still hasn't. Over the summer he dyed my hair blue, it was horrible!"

Hermione giggled at the thought, but stopped upon seeing Alice's face.

"Sorry, it's funny. I thought you couldn't use magic outside of school though?"

Alice's face darkened even further, her petite features scrunched into an intensely upset expression. "You can't. He used muggle dye, and it wouldn't come out for weeks."

This statement, coupled with Alice's face, was too much for Hermione to bear and she exploded with laughter. Alice simply stared at her, before crossing her arms and huffing off, attempting a dramatic exit. This only made Hermione laugh harder, and it was in this state that Ginny found her.

"Um, 'Mione, you okay?"

Hermione, seeing who it was, stopped laughing immediately, grabbing the other girls arm, and dragging her up to their dormitory.

"What are you doing?" Ginny accused her friend, not liking that two angry people had grabbed her in one day.

Hermione narrowed her eyes and stared at her, crossing her arms.

"More like what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? You're the one who dragged me up here!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand, casting a silencing spell on the area around them in case any of their dorm mates were to walk in.

"You've been compromising our safety. You told Sirius. Sirius, of all people! Sirius!"

Ginny looked at her, puzzled. "Told him what?"

"Everything! You told him about Ron and –"

"So? What's the problem with that? Were you just going to keep everything a secret? They have to know something about us, otherwise they'll get suspicious and find out too much."

"They'll find out too much? You already told Sirius _everything_," Hermione snarled.

"Hardly!" Ginny cried, her face resembling a tomato. "All I told him was that my family was attacked by death eaters."

"So? He could look it up, find out that you're not who he thinks you are."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Oh, because Sirius would totally look into something like that." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "No, Hermione, he wouldn't. Because he respects that this isn't something to dig into. You know, not everyone is as bloody nosy as you are."

"He respects you? For the love of God, Ginny, he's an eleven year old boy, and a bloody marauder at that! Didn't you hear all of _our_ Sirius' stories? They got into everything, absolutely everything."

"Yeah, but maybe he's different. Maybe he can help us."

"Or maybe he could get everyone killed. Again. If we change anything, everything will change. Harry could never be born. That means he won't have another shot at Voldemort and millions of people will die. One mess up from us can mess up everything."

The two stared at each other in silence, neither daring to move. Both girls sat, deep in thought, their minds processing the information they had and what it meant.

Ginny at last broke the silence. "But if nothing changes, then how will we save them? Harry will lose again, it's fate. We have to change something. And when I got his wand, I think that meant something, Hermione. I think I'm supposed to get rid of Voldemort."

Hermione sat down, dumbstruck. The room returned to its previous silence, remaining quiet for minute after minute.

"So you think we should change things?"

Ginny nodded. "It's the only way that I can see."

"I'm still not sure about this. It's an awful lot to gamble on. I think we should research some more before coming to any conclusions. And in the mean time, we need to be careful."

Ginny agreed, looking sheepish. "Sorry, I really shouldn't have told Sirius anything."

"That's okay," Hermione said. "But listen, I think it may be best to distance yourself from him. I think the two of you are moving a little, err how to put this? Fast?"

Ginny's eyes widened. "What? You make it sound like we're in a relationship!"

"Well, you are kind of acting like it," Hermione said sheepishly.

"Are you kidding? Ew, God, no! Of course not! He's Harry's Godfather. Oh, this is so messed up. I just wanted to be his friend."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Well, that was one last thing to bother her.

"Well, you might want to make sure he knows you just want to be his friend, nothing more. When I was talking to him over the summer before fifth year he said that in his Hogwarts days he was rather popular with the ladies, so I'm sure he'll bounce back."

Ginny nodded. "Well, this will be an awkward conversation."

Hermione smiled grimly. "It has to be done eventually. Or I suppose you could slowly try to distance yourself from him, drift apart, you know."

"Yeah, I'll give that a try," Ginny said, beginning to think of how exactly to put this plan into action. She really hated to do this, Sirius had already done so much for her and he had been so nice, but she had to. It was Sirius or her and Hermione's survival. The winner was clear.

"Good luck," Hermione said, before dismissing the sound barriers around them. "And good night."

Ginny nodded in response, changed into her pajamas, and slipped into her bed for the night.

The next morning Hermione woke early to begin her research on their situation, leaving Ginny and Lily to make their way to breakfast alone.

"I still can't believe that we're here," Lily murmured, eying portrait after moving portrait with wonder.

"Neither can I," Ginny said honestly. She never would have expected that she would be transported back in time, adopted by the Evans family, and sent to Hogwarts at the same time as the marauders.

"I miss mum and dad," Lily admitted. "And Tuney too."

"Me too. We'll have to write them."

Lily frowned. "We'll have to have someone teach us how to do it. I've no clue how we're supposed to use an owl."

Ginny nodded, but her response was cut short by the appearance of Severus, who quickly volunteered to assist them.

"I can show you. Later, though," Severus said, quickly looking around them to be sure that none of his Slytherin friends had seen him conversing with the enemy.

"Yep, that'd be awesome. Thanks," Lily said, happy that their friend had found them. They hadn't talked since their trip to the hospital wing, which seemed like a lifetime ago. Although they were in different houses, Lily was determined to hold onto their friendship. Ginny, however, was not, and glared at the boy as he spoke to her sister.

"What's wrong with her?" Severus asked with a sneer, looking Ginny up and down disapprovingly.

"Hmm, maybe the fact that an overgrown bat that's been soaked with grease is standing right in front of me. That could be it," Ginny retorted, earning a glare from Lily.

"I should be going," Severus said coldly, swooping off in the direction of the Slytherin table, his robes billowing.

"Why can't you just be nice to him?" Lily questioned her.

"He's not nice to me."

"Well, that doesn't mean that you should be mean to him. If mum knew…."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Well, mum doesn't know. What she doesn't know can't hurt her. Now come on, I want some bacon."

"I'm going to go talk to Severus and apologize, even if you won't. He's our friend, Ginny, and he shouldn't be treated like that." Lily stomped off, flipping her long hair over her shoulder as she went.

Ginny shook her head. Lily's attempt at an apology would only make things worse. She would embarrass Severus, and he would lash out at her, making the entire situation a mess. _Good thing I got out of it while I could_, she thought, and continued to walk along the Gryffindor table.

"Hey, Ginny, over here," Sirius called, waving his arm frantically.

Ginny held back a snicker, and remembering her discussion with Hermione the night before, slowed as she approached them. This did not seem to phase Sirius, who grinned at her as she walked towards them. He patted the seat next to his, expecting her to sit beside him, but she shook her head.

"I think I'll sit next to James, actually."

Sirius' face dropped, and he eyed James jealously.

"But last night you said you didn't like him," he sputtered, causing the students around them to watch the proceedings with interest.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but that doesn't mean I don't like him as a friend."

Sirius blushed and lowered his head, poking at his food. Peter, trying his best to comfort his friend, clapped him on the back, which only earned him a glare. The group fell into an awkward silence, each member looking at their food and avoiding each other's eyes.

James cleared his throat, causing them all to look up at him. "So, um, what happened with Lily?"

"Snivellus happened."

James' eyes narrowed. "I hate that kid."

"Me too," Peter chimed in, a little too happily.

Sirius did not speak, as he was too busy moping to join the conversation. Remus, too, remained silent, his eyes unreadable.

"Look at him," James said darkly, glaring across to the Slytherin table to where Severus sat. Lily stood beside him, speaking to him, while he ignored her, hiding behind his greasy locks.

"What a prick," Sirius commented, finally seeming to have come out of his mood. "You know what we should do?" The rest of the boys and Ginny shook their heads. Sirius' eyes gleamed with mischief. "We should prank him."

Remus rolled his eyes. "You just don't want us pranking _you_."

"Hmm, I like it," said James, who seemed to have ignored Remus' comment completely. "What should we do?"

Sirius leaned in, "It's got to be something brilliant, something memorable. This is our first prank, we've gotta make it a good one."

James nodded seriously. "You're right. Everyone in?"

Peter nodded eagerly, and after a few seconds Remus nodded his consent as well.

"What about you, Ginny?" James asked, not sure what to expect from the girl.

Ginny grinned. "Thought you'd never ask. Let's do this."

* * *

**A/N:** Yay, marauder shenanigans to look forward to! Be excited, I know I am! Sorry it was a little skimpy, just thought that was a good ending point. More will be up as soon as I can write it. Thanks to all the reviewers this week: **jeremiahlovesmichelle**, **Molyl19**, **Dora Penmoko**, and **Vicki219**. I would respond to each of you individually like I have been in the past few chapters, but I'm a bit short on time and just want to get this posted so you can read more. Please continue to review, you guys are seriously so so so amazing.

Please, everyone who reads this, review!

Thanks,

Mischief Maintained


	11. Islands and Isolation

**Disclaimer: **Everything Harry Potter belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Islands and Isolation

Hermione slid into her seat right as Professor Donovan stood, clearing his throat to gain the attention of his students.

"Good morning," he greeted the class, who returned the salutation with polite nods. They were still wary of him, and he knew it, which didn't sit well with Hermione. No one should use the fear of children, or anyone for that matter, to benefit themselves, even if it was only for keeping kids' attention during class.

"Alright, today we'll start the game. Everyone remember the rules?" He didn't wait for them to respond, and instead cheerfully said, "good." Peter looked confused by this, and it was evident to Hermione that he did not remember everything that had been said the previous day. _Oh well, his problem, not mine_, she thought, turning back to face the professor. "Please split back up into your groups, and we will begin."

The class complied, each student shuffling to join up with their assigned partners. Once everyone had been assembled, Donovan smiled and told them to follow him. "Now, to begin, we simply must walk down to Hogsmeade. Do not worry, I have already cleared this lesson with the headmaster, and as it is a double class period, we should have an adequate amount of time. Come, come, the sooner we reach Hogsmeade, the sooner the games begin."

The room was filled with an excited buzz, and as they proceeded through the halls, Hermione found herself beside Severus. He walked along silently, a frown plaguing his pale face.

"Sev, you okay?" she asked with concern. He may have been evil when she'd had him for a professor, but in this life he was her brother, and she found herself worrying about him quite a bit.

He grunted in response to her question, only confirming that he was in a foul mood. Hermione sighed, and grabbed his arm so that he would look at her.

"Listen, I know you're a "big, bad Slytherin," but I'm still your sister. You can't just ignore me forever."

"You're not my real sister," Severus sneered.

"Really?"

The two Snapes turned to face Remus, who was a few feet behind them with a curious expression on his face.

"Who invited you into this conversation?" Severus accused, his voice dripping with poison.

"I wasn't aware I needed an invitation?" Remus said, his brows knitting together in a frown.

"Oh, you don't, of course you don't," Hermione said quickly, not wanting conflict.

The two boys glared at each other across Hermione, Severus breaking the animosity by storming away to join his fellow Slytherins. Remus relaxed a little, but still didn't let his guard down, continuing to clench his jaw ever so slightly.

"So, you're not actually related?" he asked slowly.

Hermione nodded. "I was adopted."

"That explains a lot. You two look nothing alike."

Hermione giggled, somewhat in relief. It had been a little weird that people hadn't noticed Severus and her's difference in looks. She had been starting to worry that she resembled him, something that was not high on her list of things she would ever desire.

"How so?" she asked, realizing in the back of her mind that she was practically fishing for compliments, something that she couldn't recall doing in her life. Although, to tell the truth, she hadn't received many compliments, not even from Ron, who was rather shy and clumsy when it came to romance.

"Well, for one you make good use of shampoo," Remus said, provoking a laugh from Hermione. "And your nose is smaller than a mountain troll."

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Hermione said, giggling uncharacteristically.

Remus grinned at her. "You're fun, a lot more fun than I thought you would be, no offense."

"Thanks, I guess," she responded, blushing lightly at the compliment. "Now come on, I want to start the game soon."

As soon as the class had arrived outside of the Hogwarts gates, Professor Donovan withdrew chocolate frog cards from his pocket and handed one to each group.

"Now, this right here," he said, grasping his own card, "is your ticket to begin the game. It is a portkey."

"Professor, what's a portkey?" Lily asked.

Donovan pointed to Remus, who presented the class with a perfect answer, for which he was awarded five points to Gryffindor.

"Very well. Now, this portkey will transport each group to their own island. On the island, there will be a herd of boars, as I mentioned yesterday. To "kill" them, you simply must stun them, like so." He proceeded to stun Sirius, who had been talking to James in the back of the group. This inspired hearty laughter from the Slytherins, and a scowl from Hermione. _What type of professor is this?_ she questioned, but didn't speak up. There was a time and a place for that, and this was not it. Instead she carefully watched him, taking note of any irregularities in his act.

"After arriving on the island, you will be alone with your group for the rest of the class period. Each year, as I explained yesterday in class, will be represented by ten minutes. At the end of this experiment, your card will begin to glow, and within a minute it will transport you back to this very location. If you miss it, which I expect you will not, it will become your problem. Now, let us begin. The cards will transport you in exactly twenty seconds. Everybody grab hold of the card, and prepare yourself. Good luck."

Each person grasped the card tightly, not knowing what to expect. Ginny braced herself for the pull behind her navel that she knew was to come, and was one of the only few who did not cry out as the portkey took action. The first years were suddenly thrust into the magical world, with barely any warning, and no experience. This was demonstrated as the entirety of Ginny's group tumbled to the ground, face planting in the soft sand.

"Ugh where are we?" Sirius said after spitting sand out of his mouth.

"An island, duh," Katie said, rolling her eyes. James laughed at the expression on his friend's face after Katie's comment, and the girl giggled along with him, attempting to bat her eyelashes at him.

"Okay," Ginny said, trying to distract her group and get them on task. She succeeded, and they all turned to look at her. "So, I guess we should get started."

"Right then, let's split up into partners and get started," said James, taking on the role of a leader, much like Harry would.

Immediately, everyone went for partners. The two Slytherins, Derrick Dunn and Joshua Edwins, were paired together by choice. Katie, who Ginny had expected to be her partner, had ditched her for James. This left Ginny with Sirius, who looked pleased to have been paired with her, although he had been hoping to be with his best mate.

"We'll go this way," Derrick said, before walking quickly away from the Gryffindors.

"Remember," Ginny shouted to them, "be reasonable with the amount you kill. We need enough to survive. And meet back here at the end of the ten minutes."

The rest of the group, after hearing her warning, promised to kill only a few beasts, then promptly split in separate directions.

"Well, I guess that leaves us going this way," Ginny said, eager to begin the game.

Sirius nodded and followed her through the thick brush, pushing away palm fronds that reached for him. They continued through the forest for what felt like forever, but from looking at her watch, Ginny knew they had only been out for two minutes.

"Do you see any trace of the boars?" she asked, turning to Sirius.

Before he could answer, they heard a ruffling in the leaves to their right. Sirius raised one finger to his lips, warning Ginny to be silent.

He raised his wand, looking for an open shot at the beast.

"Come here, Pumbaa," he muttered, before quickly saying the words to the spell. It hit the boar in its chest, causing it to freeze in the position it had held, and fall to its side.

"What did you just call it?" Ginny asked, frowning.

"Pumbaa. It's from a muggle movie."

"I know, I just didn't know you knew. I thought you were from a pureblood family?"

Sirius grinned. "Well, most of my family doesn't like muggles, but my uncle is the opposite. I used to go over to his house, and we'd watch movies together. The Lion King was my favorite, kind of makes sense 'cause I'm in Gryffindor, huh?"

Ginny smiled. "Yeah. Well, just for your information, Pumbaa's a warthog, not a boar."

"What's the difference?" Sirius asked, feigning interest.

"Well, since you asked, warthogs are from mainly Africa. Boars are more widespread."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, crazy boar lady. Come on, let's go get it."

Ginny followed him to where the fallen pig was, checking her watch as she walked. "Alright, we have four minutes left to get this guy back to camp. Then this round will be over, and we'll have a short meeting."

Sirius nodded, and bent to grab the boar's two back legs. Ginny shook her head, though, and drew her wand to levitate it.

"Whoa, how'd you do that?"

Ginny shrugged. "Magic."

Sirius frowned, but decided to leave it to later, and instead followed her and the floating boar back to where they had first arrived. The two Slytherin boys were there already, with two boars.

"Only one?" the larger boy sneered, his green eyes sparkling with animosity. "I thought you'd do at least better than that, although then again, for a Gryffindor, it's surprising that you'd catch even one."

Sirius shot him a dirty look, but chose to ignore him, instead searching the horizon for James and Katie.

"Where are they?" he asked, starting to worry.

Ginny glanced down at her watch and frowned. "They were supposed to be back a minute ago. Oh well, its James, you know how he is."

Sirius nodded, but didn't look consoled. He didn't show it much, but it was clear that he cared deeply for his friend. It was surprising to Ginny just how quickly the two of them had bonded; they already shared numerous jokes and secrets, it seemed, and they trusted each other fully already.

The group waited for another ten minutes, digging into their time in the next round, and still the two did not return.

"Should we look for them?" Sirius asked, beginning to panic.

Ginny shook her head. "We have no way of knowing where we are. All we know is that they went in that direction," she said, pointing towards the jungle to her left.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Sirius asked, his gray eyes piercing.

"Hmm, continue on with the game perhaps?" Joshua drawled, clearly not giving a hoot about their missing group members.

Sirius turned to stare at the boy, his fists clenching at his side.

"Sirius, no, we can't fight. We have to try to stay together as a team. If we don't, bad things will happen."

Sirius snorted. "Bad things will happen? Oh yeah, 'cause I'm sure my best mate going missing doesn't count as a bad thing."

"Look, there's nothing we can do now but wait."

"Wait? What good does that do? I'm going out and looking for him," Sirius said, his chin set in determination.

Ginny watched his back as he entered the greenery, and sighed.

"Great," she mumbled, only to have the Slytherins mock her. She glared at them, then sat down upon a rock. The two boys waited briefly for her, and then announced that they were going off to continue the game, and that they would steer clear of the direction James and Katie had gone. This left Ginny alone to wait and to worry.

After a good thirty minutes had passed, Ginny was beginning to panic. Katie, James, and Sirius had yet to return. _Screw common sense_, she thought, _I'm going after them_. She quickly walked into the dense forest, grasping her wand tightly. There was a small trail of down trodden underbrush, and she followed it as closely as she could. The trail led her to a small creek, where a few rocks stuck up out of the water. She carefully levitated herself over it, and then, upon arriving on the opposite shore, tried to memorize the way she had come for later reference. The trees looked the same as anywhere in the forest; they would be no help. However, a line of rocks bridged the river, spaced just so that a person could carefully cross. One rock stood out from the others, though, raising her suspicions. It appeared to be natural, but unlike the rest of the rocks, it lacked a layer of slippery green algae over it. Someone had tampered with it, that much was clear.

"_Specialis Revelio_," she said, waving her wand at the rock. It glowed blue for a few moments, then returned to its normal state, signs of a portkey. Ginny shook her head. Clearly this had been planted here, for what reason she did not know, but she had a feeling it had to do with the disappearances of her three friends.

Ginny turned around to see if the path continued on after the stream, but saw no signs of any tracks. She had no way of knowing whether this was a dangerous portkey, or if it was a part of the game, but she knew she would have to make a decision. She could either go after her friends, or wait and save herself. After five minutes, she deemed the first choice the only acceptable choice, and prepared to activate the portkey.

She cast a disillusionment charm upon herself, as well as a silencing spell on her feet so that whoever was waiting on the other end of the portkey would not know she had arrived. Unable to think of any other ideas, she slowly reached forward to touch the rock with one hand, while gripping her wand with the other. Immediately, she felt a hook behind her belly button, and felt the familiar sensation of spinning through midair. The spinning stopped, and she carefully maneuvered her way down, walking through the air as she had seen her father and the Diggorys at the Quidditch World Cup in the summer before her third year.

She landed softly on the ground, and waited for the dizziness to pass before opening her eyes to observe her surroundings. She was in another forest, but she was not alone. It seemed that she had found her three friends; Sirius lay crumpled below a tree, James and Katie bent over him.

Ginny quickly let her spells drop, and rushed to where the boy lay, causing Katie to start in surprise.

"What happened to him?" she asked.

"Snake bite," Sirius moaned, holding his left forearm.

Ginny leaned forward to examine the wound, and grimaced. It looked nasty.

"What type of snake was it?" James asked, looking concerned.

Sirius shook his head. "I dunno. It was yellow, I think. It fell out of a tree on me, and I shook the bloody thing off, but not before it could bite me."

Ginny sighed in relief. "Well, that's good."

"Good? Are you bloody serious?" James exclaimed.

"Hey, I'm Sirius!"

Ginny rolled her eyes at Sirius' attempt at a joke, and turned to answer James. "It's good because yellow snakes normally aren't poisonous."

"Oh. That's good. How do you know that?"

Ginny shrugged. "Discovery channel."

James and Katie just stared at her in confusion. "Okay."

"It's a muggle thing. Anyways, we should probably bandage this."

Katie nodded, "how, though?"

Ginny frowned. Normally she would use a spell, but in the current company it was not the best idea. It wouldn't do for a muggle-raised witch to know spells far beyond her years.

"Well, I suppose we could rip some scraps of clothing and tie it so it won't bleed," she suggested.

Katie immediately got to work, and Ginny took advantage of the distraction. A glance around the surrounding forest showed no threats, but it wouldn't do to be unprotected in an unknown area. Checking to be sure all of her companions were occupied, she removed her wand and quickly cast nonverbal spells on the surrounding area. The spells would protect them against most intruders, and alert them to anyone who might be able to pass through them.

"There, all done," Katie announced. James helped to prop Sirius up against a tree, and the four of them sat down to discuss their options.

"So, we're in some unknown place, we don't have any supplies, my arm is no good, and this is all stupid Professor Donovan's fault," Sirius complained.

"Pretty much," James said, agreeing with his friend.

"So what do we do? I'm scared," Katie said softly, before pressing up against James as if he would provide her with comfort. Instead of wrapping his arms around her, like she clearly desired, he eyed her awkwardly, and slowly tried to shift away from her.

"Help me," he mouthed to Sirius, who simply watched his friend in amusement. Even in a situation such as their current one, the boys managed to find a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Katie asked, oblivious to James' reaction to her approach.

James shrugged. "Sirius' face."

"Hey! I resent that remark!" Sirius cried, moving to cross his arms dramatically, but wincing as he moved his arm.

"No, you resemble it," Ginny added, teasingly.

Sirius rolled his eyes and looked down at his arm. "How long does it normally take for these things to stop bleeding?"

James shrugged. "No clue, sorry mate."

The girls muttered a similar answer, causing Sirius to frown.

"I'm starting to feel not so great," he said, his face pale.

Ginny stood and moved to sit beside him, carefully reaching for his arm. The entire bandage, made up from Katie's stockings wrapped around his arm, was soaked in crimson blood. Not a good sign.

"Damn it, where's Madam Pomfrey when I need her?" Ginny muttered under her breath, before slowly unwinding the socks from his arm.

The wound was red and swollen, blood dripping sluggishly from the two fang marks. The gashes were deep, cutting into the muscle below, and showing some bone. Nothing that magic couldn't fix, but without magic, it could be deadly.

"Hey James, Katie? Do you think you could go look for some firewood?" she asked, trying to get some privacy. They complied, leaving her alone with Sirius.

"Alright, I'm going to try a few spells on you. I'm not sure how well they'll work," she said, pretending to be nervous as if she'd never used these spells before. "I read them in a book in the library."

Sirius groaned. "The library?"

Ginny smiled wryly. At least her patient was more concerned about where she had gotten her information than the fact that she knew it.

"Alright, ready?" Sirius nodded, and Ginny recited "_Episkey_."

Immediately, the flesh began to knit itself back together, causing Sirius to grit his teeth. It took a few minutes, but soon his arm was repaired, left only with a puffy scar.

"Well, it's not pretty, but it's the best I can do," Ginny said, sitting back with a sigh. Her magical reserves were not as strong as they had been in the future, and depleted quickly. The spells she knew were little use when she had the magical supply of an eleven year old, and it was clear that when she got back, if she got back, she would have to train it to have better endurance.

"Thanks, Gin," Sirius said. "That was brilliant."

Ginny nodded. "Just don't tell James and Katie, don't want them thinking I'm a nerd."

Sirius let out a small laugh, and made to stand, but Ginny stopped him.

"Your arm might be better, but you're not. You lost a lot of blood."

Sirius made a puppy dogface and begged her to let him stand, but she refused, and he settled back done on the ground.

"I hate this," he muttered, glaring at his arm.

Ginny shook her head. "Hey, look at it this way, you get a scar to show off to the ladies."

Sirius laughed heartily. "As if I need this to attract ladies, I'm already a totally stallion." He shook his hair out, attempting to look like a wild horse, but instead looking like a girl attempting to be sexy.

Ginny cracked up at this display and promptly teased him before going to help James start the fire. Katie had proved to be little help, complaining that without her stockings she was incapable of work. Ginny rolled her eyes at this. She had worked through much worse, but then again, this was a different time, and Katie was just an annoying stuck up baby.

"Is he going to be okay?" James asked her, his hazel eyes concerned.

Ginny nodded. "Yep, not perfect, but he'll survive."

James clapped her on the back, relief washing over his face. "What's the time?"

Ginny looked down at her watch. "We should've been returned to Hogsmeade two hours ago. Did the card do anything?"

James removed the card from his pocket and shook his head. "Nothing."

"Great. What now?"

James rubbed his hands over his face, and sat down beside the fire that he had managed to light. "We'll have to do something eventually. We don't have any supplies, we don't know where we are, and we don't know anything to help us survive. I know a few spells, but not many, and if anyone finds us," he trailed off, his face grim.

"And if that's not bad enough, if we're not back in time for dinner, we'll miss our prank on Snivellus," Sirius added from his spot beside the tree.

Ginny shot him a glare. Now was not the time for mentioning trivial things such as missing pranks, although it really would be a pity to miss.

"I think we should stay here for another hour, and hope that Professor Donovan will find us."

James looked doubtful. "I don't know, he said that if we missed the portkey, it'd be our problem."

Katie, who had returned from where she'd been moping, commented, "He'll have to come find us, he's our professor."

Ginny's eyes darkened. "I'm not sure if we want him to find us. How do we know this isn't a trap that he set up?"

Katie shivered, her eyes fearful. "But, he, he can't! Dumbledore wouldn't hire him if he was evil."

James shook his head. "You never know. You can't always know what a person's capable of."

Ginny agreed with him grimly. "Our best hope is that Dumbledore will send someone to find us. I'm sure he will; we just have to hope they can find us. And the best hope of them finding us is if we stay in one place."

The group grudgingly agreed, and they set about to look for large branches to create a shelter. Sirius dozed off below the tree, and when he woke again, the sky was dark.

"What time is it?" he mumbled, followed by a yawn.

"Ten thirty," Ginny replied from beside him.

"Did we get the shelter up?"

Ginny nodded, barely visible in the dark. "James and Katie are sleeping. I'm on watch, and well, you're here."

Sirius sighed, and tilted his head back to look up to the sky. The branches over them were not thick; they had arrived in a small clearing. He lifted his good arm to point at the brightest star that shown above them. "There's Sirius, the dog star," he said softly.

Ginny squinted up. "Where?"

Sirius gently tilted her head so that she was looking up at it, and she leaned in against him. "Oh. It's beautiful."

Sirius nodded, and looked back up to the sky, continuing to point out stars and constellations. Ginny watched him in awe; she had never spent the time to examine the stars. She had learnt in divination class that it was somehow possible to read them, but she had thought it was a bunch of baloney, and had tuned out.

Now, she sat in complete rapture, fully absorbed in the stories Sirius wove, his adolescent voice speaking the tales of generations. He told story after story, each one more and more interesting. He talked and talked until his voice was raw, and until Ginny's eyes were bleary with sleep.

"Night, Ginny," Sirius said softly, removing his arm from around her.

"Night," she murmured back, standing to go to the shelter. Before entering it, she turned to look back at the boy. "Are you on watch?"

Sirius nodded.

"Thanks, Sirius. I mean it. You've been a really great friend."

Sirius nodded, and Ginny slipped into the shelter, leaving the boy alone. He sat in the darkness, pondering her words. _You've been a really great friend_. Sirius sighed, pushing his shaggy hair back away from his youthful face. So that's what he was. A friend. _That's going to change_, he promised himself, _some day, when she's ready, I'll be more. Until then, here's to friendship_. He raised his canteen in a toast, his silhouette outlined in moonlight, as he drank to his and Ginny's future.

* * *

**A/N:** All righty, there's a nice long, action packed chapter for you. Hopefully it was actually good... I hadn't really planned the whole them getting lost thing, but it just happened, so here we are. All alone. In the woods. Sniff sniff. Anyways, the next chapter is ready to be uploaded as soon as I get a decent amount of reviews (four or five, more if I'm lucky), so if you want more soon, then review! Pretty please? With a cherry on top?

And, as always, HUGE thank you to my lovely reviewers:

**Dora Penmoko:** You have no idea how awesome your review was! That's right, not just "nice", but awesome! You were completely right about the previous chapter being mostly filler, which I didn't realize until I read your review, and I was like "Oh my gosh I can't believe I just did that". I definitely kept that in mind this chapter, and as it is a more action filled one, hopefully it was a bit more of a stand alone chapter than a connector. Thank you very much for your review, it helped me get back on track so that I'll start going for quality, not quantity. Ahh, you're just so amazing! Please keep reviewing, you've been very helpful so far.

**randaru102:** Thank you so much for the review! Keep reading and reviewing, please!

Thanks for reading (and, a thank you in advance for reviewing),

Mischief Maintained


	12. Missing Persons and Mysterious People

**Disclaimer: **Here we go, another chapter, another disclaimer. This is not mine, Harry Potter and everything about it is J.K. Rowling's. Understand? Good. Okay, now enjoy the story :)

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Missing Persons and Mysterious People

After a sharp tug behind her belly button, Hermione arrived back in front of the Hogwarts gate, where she had been merely an hour before. Professor Donovan nodded to the group, not bothering to help them up from where they had fallen due to the portkey. The other groups arrived shortly after, falling out of the sky, and landing ever so ungracefully on the grass.

"Wonder where James and Sirius are," Peter said, after finding her and Remus.

Hermione looked around, trying to catch a sight of them or Ginny, but didn't see any of them. "Huh, that's weird. Their portkey's probably just a bit later than ours. I'm sure they'll be here in a few minutes."

Remus nodded, and proceeded to tell Peter the story of how he had stunned a boar on his first try at the stunning spell. Peter listened, his mouth gaping.

"Oh man, I wish I were as good as you," he said. "I didn't hit a thing, I couldn't even figure out how to do the spell."

Remus patted his friend on the back. "You're not the only one. I heard Andrew Abbott couldn't do it either, so he started crying."

This seemed to cheer Peter up, and he laughed at the poor boy's expense, seeming to forget that he had been faced with a similar situation. Hermione had half a mind to remind him of this, but decided against it. The boy already had next to no self-confidence, and it wouldn't do to crush it now. If she were to do anything involving him, it would be ideal to actually help him, so that he had enough confidence to refuse to help the dark lord in the future. This, of course, wasn't something she could do at the moment; they still had a lot of research and heavy thinking to do before they could decide whether or not to change the timeline. For the moment she would have to remain neutral, and that she did, politely laughing as the boys continued to joke about Andrew Abbott.

"Right then, let's get going," Donovan called, starting up the path back to the school.

"Professor, what about the last group?" Hermione asked, causing him to stop and turn around slowly.

"They're late," he replied simply, once again beginning to walk.

"But sir, what if they're injured?"

"I'm sure they are perfectly alright, Ms. Snape. Now, if you will," he said, gesturing towards the castle, his voice ringing with an air of finality. It was clear that he did not wish to continue this subject.

Hermione turned to Remus, "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah. What a git. He can't even take the time to wait for his students to get back."

Lily, who had been chatting with Alice, drifted back to stand beside Hermione. "Do you know where Ginny's group is?" she asked.

Hermione shook her head. "No clue. I asked Donovan, but he didn't really give me a straight answer. Something's off about him, I can just feel it."

Lily and Remus didn't respond, but didn't seem to strongly disagree with her statement. Peter stayed silent for a few minutes, and then raised his head to look over at her.

"I know what you mean. He's… scary."

Hermione nodded at the boy's observation. She had been hoping for something a bit more helpful from her three friends, something to help piece together the puzzle that was their defense against the dark arts professor, but a confirmation of the creepy vibe he was giving out was nice. She wasn't sure if she was just paranoid against defense against the dark arts teachers or if this one really was, well, off. It seemed that he was, and she watched each of his moves carefully. He did nothing particularly incriminating; as he walked, he gazed at his surroundings, seeming to be lost in thought. He didn't look at all worried, although Hermione was sure that if the group of students did not soon return, his job would be on the line.

As soon as they arrived back in the defense against the dark arts classroom, professor Donovan spoke to them, his voice a deep tone that carried easily. "That was the game, tomorrow we will discuss how it went for each group. You are dismissed." The class packed up quickly and departed for the next class, Hermione lingering behind them.

"Erm, Professor?" she asked.

Donovan either did not hear her, or ignored her, and instead rifled through his desk until he found what looked to be a shard of a mirror.

"Sir, what is that?"

"What? Oh this, nothing," the man said, starting as if he were surprised she was there. He had clearly been so involved in his endeavor that he hadn't realized her presence. "Is there a reason you're here, Ms. Snape?" he asked, his brown eyes piercing into her, as if they could read each and every emotion that played across her face.

Hermione stared back at him, not wanting him to know just how much she unnerved him. When she felt she had challenged him enough, she dropped his gaze, and looked down at her hands.

"Sir, I was wondering about the group that hasn't come back."

Donovan chuckled. "Oh, don't be, my dear. Besides two of the boys returned earlier, only a few of their group have yet to turn up."

"Only a few? James, Sirius, Katie, and Ginny are all missing. I think that's a bit of a larger problem than you think it is."

"Excuse me," he said coldly, "but this is not your call to make. I am the professor, they are my responsibility, and they will be fine. Trust me. Dumbledore does." He laughed softly after this, and Hermione was not sure where it came from. She tried to read his expressions, but he kept them closely guarded, and she was incapable of gleaming any information.

"Yeah that's what I'm worried about," she said under her breath, but loud enough for him to hear.

Donovan pretended to ignore her words, and returned to looking at the mirror he held. Hermione, taking this as her cue to leave, walked briskly from the room, breaking out into a run to reach her next class in time.

The rest of the morning passed agonizingly slowly, and as each minute passed, the group grew more and more tense. Peter, normally unstable, was in a terrible state, and Hermione couldn't help but to pity the boy. He didn't seem to be able to pay any attention, and he chewed his nails constantly with worry. Remus, too, was worried, although he wasn't as transparent about it. Hermione, used to the wear and tear of missing friends and dangerous situations, managed to hold it together, but only barely. Lily was a complete mess.

At lunch, after an emotionally grueling morning, they sat silently together, pushing their food around their plates. Hermione managed a few bites, but was unable to muster up any sort of appetite, the same holding true for the rest of the group. Even Peter, whose favorite pastime was eating, was incapable of lunching.

"I have an idea," Hermione said quietly, causing her friends to start, and then look at her warily. "I talked to Professor Donovan after class, and he said something about two of the people in their group being back. Do you suppose we should talk to them?"

Everyone nodded urgently, and Lily leaned in to ask, "Who?"

"Two Slytherin boys, I think." The group moaned.

"We can ask Severus," Lily said quietly.

Hermione nodded. "Let's go." Lily stood beside her, and together they made their way to the Slytherin table, to where one thin, dark haired boy was seated.

"Severus?" Lily asked hesitantly. The boy snapped his head around to glare at her.

"What?" he snarled.

"Err, can we talk to you?"

"Why?" he asked, attracting the attention of the Slytherins seated around him, who now watched the proceedings with interest.

Hermione glanced nervously at them. She didn't care for the entire Slytherin house to know what was going on, although it was likely that they already did.

"We need help with my owl," Lily said, either not noticing or not caring about the stares she was receiving.

Severus rolled his eyes. "Really? And Hermione, you can't show her?"

Hermione shook her head. "Nope."

Severus sighed deeply, but got up. "Fine. But make this quick, I don't want to be seen with you lot."

The three of them quickly strode from the room, slowing once they had passed through the more congested hallways. "So, what exactly do you need help with? It's simple enough an ogre could send a letter," he sneered.

Lily turned to look at him, her green eyes piercing. "Severus Snape, I don't know what happened to you," she said, her voice so close to Mrs. Weasley's that Hermione had to fight the urge to giggle.

"What do you mean?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"Oh, you know what I mean. You've been treating Hermione and I like dirt ever since you got sorted into Slytherin."

"Maybe I've been treating you like dirt because you are dirt. Especially you, Lily. You're worse than dirt, you're _mud_."

"What did you just call her?" Hermione whispered dangerously, stepping forward so that her face was merely a few inches from her brother's.

"You heard me, I called her a mudblood," Severus said, spitting the word as spitefully as he could. "And you're barely any better, mudblood lover."

Hermione reached up to grab his green and silver striped tie, pulling him closer to her. "If you ever call her a mudblood again, if you call anyone a mudblood again, I swear I will-"

"Ms. Snape, release Mr. Snape immediately," a sharp voice called, causing Hermione to slowly let go of her brother's tie and take a step back, although not without sending him a death glare first. She turned to look at the teacher who had caught her, her eyes narrowing as she saw that it was Professor Donovan.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor, twenty-five from Slytherin, and detention for all three of you."

"But sir-"

"No buts, Ms. Snape. I expect to see all three of you in the entrance hall tonight at seven o' clock sharp. Do not be late."

He strode away, leaving the three children alone once more. Severus simply glared at them and then stormed off.

"Well, that went… well?" Lily said, though not really believing it.

"Oh, definitely," Hermione added sarcastically.

"Shoot, it's time for class, we'll have to look for the Slytherin boys later," Lily said, her face falling.

Hermione wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder. "It'll be alright," she said, trying to mask the doubt that threatened to overcome her. "It'll be alright."

Remus sat in his chair numbly, barely taking notice of what went on in the classroom around him. Occasionally, his eyes would lift to scan the room, searching for two heads of black hair, but his brown orbs would soon fall in disappointment, returning to stare at his hands blankly.

Peter watched his friend's action, or lack thereof, panic building within. Remus had been worried all day, and if Remus was worried, that was definitely not a good sign. Remus was not an overly emotional person; he took time to calculate things and think through the logic and mechanics of what was happening. The fact that he was distressed meant that it wasn't just everyone's subconscious taking over, making him or her paranoid. There was a huge likelihood that their friends had truly gone missing.

_Would they miss me if I went missing?_ Peter thought, and looked slyly to his left at his distraught friend. _Of course_, he answered himself, gulping guiltily for even thinking that they wouldn't. But the feeling remained, along with jealousy. Why was it that James and Sirius were missed so dearly? And why did Sirius get to by stranded with Ginny? _I bet he's with her now, flirting with her_, Peter thought sullenly.

He had talked to Sirius about his feelings for Ginny, but the other boy had yet to back off. "I saw her first," Peter had said during an argument, "I saw her before school." Sirius had just laughed at him and wished him luck. And now the lucky fool was on an island, or somewhere, with her.

"Err, Peter, you okay?" Remus asked, seeming to have at last broken down his barriers.

"I'm fine," Peter snapped, crossing his pudgy arms and turning away from Remus.

Remus sighed, and tried to comfort his friend, mistaking his anger for grief for his missing friends. His attempts were unsuccessful, though, and Peter's face remained an unattractive shade of red.

"Mr. Pettigrew, Mr. Lupin, please stay after class," Professor McGonagall said, interrupting Remus' attempts.

The boys looked up, and upon realizing the rest of the class was gone, raced to the front of the class. "Professor, sorry about that, we were… distracted."

McGonagall looked at them sternly. "I noticed." The boys ducked their heads in apology, expecting a detention, but it did not come. "That was not the reason I asked you to stay after class, however."

Peter looked up in confusion. "Professor?"

"I wished to inquire as to the whereabouts of Mr. Black and Mr. Potter."

Remus and Peter exchanged a glance, neither one of them wanting to answer the question.

"Well?" the professor probed, expecting an answer.

"Err, didn't Professor Donovan tell you?" Remus asked, in awe that they knew something the deputy head mistress did not.

McGonagall frowned, her brown eyes searching for any hint of a lie. When she found none, she shook her head the slightest bit. "No, it must have slipped his mind."

"I don't think it's something that's easily forgotten," Peter piped up, but was quieted by a sharp look from Remus.

"Well, then by all means, tell me," she said, her patience dwindling.

Peter looked at Remus, and Remus ran his hand through his mousy brown hair before beginning. "Well, in class today, we played a game. Professor Donovan gave us portkeys to islands, I'm not sure where, he didn't say-"

"Portkeys? He allowed you to leave the campus without permission?" McGonagall asked, infuriated. Students were not allowed out of the Hogwarts grounds except for Hogsmeade visits, and this did not count as one.

"Yeah, and we were supposed to take the same portkey back."

"You were supposed to? I assume he was not with you?"

Remus shook his head. "No, we were alone with our groups. Anyways, my group, and most of the groups got back fine. We're not sure what happened exactly, but for some reason one of the groups didn't come back."

McGonagall stared at them, her eyes piercing. "And which students were in this group?"

"James, Sirius, Ginny, Katie, and two Slytherin boys. Hermione said the two Slytherin boys came back, but there's still no sign of the rest of them."

Their professor's mouth set firmly in a line, her lips pursed tightly. Her hair, pulled back in a tight bun, appeared to gray before their eyes as she strode briskly out of the room, leaving the two boys alone.

"Blimey," Remus commented. "You'd think Donovan would've alerted the staff so they could look for them. Hermione was right, something's not right with this bloke."

Peter did not look overly concerned by this, but his face flushed as he came up with an idea. "Want to follow her? We might find out something," Peter said, eager to know more information about Ginny's current predicament, and eager to get her away from Sirius.

Remus frowned, but eventually agreed, and they stealthily moved through the halls behind their professor, carefully ducking behind suits of armors and statues. When they reached the defense against the dark arts classroom, they were forced to hang back, or risk being seen. After McGonagall had marched into the classroom, the boys crossed the hall on tiptoe, and pressed their ears up against the polished wooden door.

"Mr. Donovan," a slightly muffled, but still sharp as a knife, voice called. "Care to explain why four of my pupils are missing? And where they are?"

"That information is between myself and the headmaster," Donovan's deep tones replied.

Remus raised an eyebrow. From the two class period he had experienced in Minerva McGonagall's class, it was obvious to him that the woman did not accept any undermining of her authority or disregard for rules.

"Is that so?" she asked coolly. There was no reply, but apparently there was some sort of physical confirmation, as she followed the comment up, "Very well, I will go get the head master and see if we can sort this out."

Peter quickly scurried out of the way of the door, hiding behind a moving suit of armor, which began to tickle him in an attempt to get him to leave. Remus quickly stunned the suit, using the same spell as he had learnt for the boars, and slid in beside Peter. He had barely concealed himself behind the tarnished metal when the door flew open, an angry McGonagall emerging from the classroom, cursing rather uncharacteristically under her breath.

As soon as she had passed, Remus and Peter stepped out from behind the suit of armor and quickly made their way to the Gryffindor common room. It was empty; after all, it was the middle of the school day. They scanned the room, never having seen it so empty before, and were taken in and charmed by it. They had not taken the time to observe it previously, and now, here it was.

The entire room lay before them, adorned with deep, comfortable crimsons and accented with regal gold. Above the fireplace, situated on the wall to their left, a giant woven tapestry portrayed a lion rearing majestically; below it sat the house cup in all it's glory, won through the extraordinary conduct of students in the past year. In front of the gilded gold mantel, was an arrangement of luxurious armchairs, as well as a cushioned love seat, all set around a rich mahogany coffee table.

Smaller clumps of furniture were arranged throughout the room, forming smaller, more private areas for socialization and relaxation. On the right of the many sofas, heavy wooden tables sat in neat lines, shined to perfection. Bookcases lined the walls, here, as well as a large message board that was filled with notices, despite it being only a few days into the term. Various supplies of parchment, quills, and ink littered the tables, left there by students.

Straight ahead of them, a good ways down was an alcove with a window seat, wedged between the two staircases leading to the dormitories. Along with the window seat, there was a chess table as well, and it was there that Peter and Remus went.

Peter sprawled out on the window seat, plumping a pillow to rest his head on. Remus withdrew a chair from the chess table and turned it to face the window seat.

"So, apparently Dumbledore's in on all this," Remus commented.

Peter nodded, the combination of his reclined position and his slight pudge causing a rather large double chin.

"That's good, I guess. I hope they find them," Remus said, trailing off, and looking out the window behind Peter as if he were searching the grounds for his friends.

"Yeah, and soon," Peter added, thinking once more of Sirius alone with Ginny. "I wish there were something we could do."

Remus shook his head. "Doubt it. Donovan wouldn't even let McGonagall help, there's no way he'd let us get involved."

"He doesn't seem like a very good teacher," Peter said critically, almost as if he were suggesting that he could do better.

Remus, though, had to agree. "Yeah, I can't believe he managed to lose four students. He'll be sacked, no question about it."

"Wonder how he ever got hired."

"I dunno. Must've had a good resume or something. What time is it, Pete?"

Peter glanced down at his wrist, "Quarter past three. Classes should be out soon."

Remus smiled. "Great. Let's find the girls and tell them what we overheard, they might have some clue as to what's going on." Peter nodded and got to his feet to follow his friend out of the room.

Once they had located Hermione and Lily, they led them outside onto the lake.

"What's going on?" Lily asked, shivering as the wind toyed with her shoulder length locks.

"We have a bit of… information about the whole missing situation," Remus said, trying to appear calm and collected.

The girls immediately perked up, squealing in excitement. "Oh, did they find them?"

Remus shook his head grimly. "No, not yet. But we overheard a key bit of information. Get this: not even McGonagall knew that they're missing. Apparently it was only between Donovan and Dumbledore."

"No way," Hermione breathed. "That, that can't be right. McGonagall would have way more power than him; she's deputy head mistress. Are you sure you heard right?"

Peter nodded. "I'm certain."

"Let's hope Dumbledore knows what he's doing," Hermione muttered. "Otherwise, it's quite possible that we'll never see our friends again. Something's not right with that Donovan bloke, I'm sure of it. He could be a death eater, God only knows. This could end badly, very, very badly."

* * *

**A/N:** Ooo a cliffie! Muahahahaha. Well, that's going to have to sit for a few days, as I'll be gone for the next few days, but I'll be returning Thursday, so expect a chapter up either late Thursday night or some time Friday. It would be awesome if I came back to a ton of reviews, that would help me get the next chapter written and posted much sooner... so, if you want more, review more!

Annnd, of course, a giant round of applause to my lovely reviewers. Thank you all so very, very much.

**Dora Penmoko:** Thank you so much for the advice, it was really helpful in writing this chapter. You're wonderful, as always. Please continue to review, I don't know what I'd do without you! Probably get no reviews... sniff sniff. And have a dreadful excuse for a story. *Sigh*. You really are great.

**LivingInTheClouds:** Okay, can I just start by saying that I absolutely adore your pen name? It's brilliant. Moving on, I hope that I delved into Peter's character a little bit more in this chapter and showed his side of things a bit more. I need to do some planning on his part, as it had slipped my mind that I would have to show such a large character transition, but let me know how it's going so far, please. As for characters going odd as soon as critical things happen, that is not going to be a theme throughout the story. Petunia's change was rather abrupt, but the appearance of magic was also rather abrupt. Her hatred of the twins is spurred by jealousy over their magic, and as soon as she learns that they have it and she does not, she becomes rather upset. As for James disliking Severus, some of that is due to him trying to intrude on what James thinks is his, aka Lily. Also, him being from a long line of Gryffindors, he isn't too big a fan of Slytherins. I'm so glad that you took time to review, it made me consider quite a bit, and write things down to add later when I come back to characters (such as Petunia during holiday breaks). Please continue to review, your input was wonderful, and thank you very much for reading and reviewing!

**randaru102:** I do have the ending planned out, however it is subject to change. This may be a rather long story, and I'm sure things will shift a bit as it goes along. And no worries, you're not stalkerish about this at all! Your reviews are amazing, and your enthusiasm is contagious and leaves me wanting to write more. Thank you so much for the review!

**Silver12:** Oh my gosh, I totally spaced out on Alice's last name. She definitely is not a Longbottom... yet :) And Frank certainly did not change his name, although that is rather interesting to imagine. Not sure how all that works in the wizarding society... And I tried to add some more detail to this chapter, but I'm not sure if it worked out well... Yes? No? Let me know! Thanks for your review, please keep it up!

**Vicki219:** I'm sorry I didn't cover Hermione's time during the game, I had originally wanted to, but after the last chapter I didn't want to back track, it would have changed the tone. I did put some Hermione time in here, though, so hopefully that makes up for it? :) Thank you mucho mucho mucho for the review!

Thanks to all of you,

Mischief Maintained

P.S. Happy 4th of July! Now, to make mine a happy 4th, just go right ahead an push that little button that says "Review" on it... :)


	13. Detention and Darkness

**Disclaimer:** This is not mine, it is J.K. Rowling's.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Detention and Darkness

Crisp autumn air greeted Hermione as she stepped through the ornate carved doors of the castle and into the surrounding courtyard. Ahead of her, Donovan marched through crunchy leaves, not phased by the chilly drafts that plagued them.

"He's bonkers," Hermione muttered under her breath, referring to the fact that the man was wearing only a thin robe in the current weather.

Lily sent her a disapproving look. "He's also our professor."

Hermione smiled. Lily was just like she had been in her youth: respectful and dignified, commanding and critical. But she brought something else, something that Hermione knew she herself had not learnt until she had matured. Lily was patient, and instead of packaging her reminders for others as challenges, she made them sound as if they were from a person much older. She delivered her reprimands like a mother would, kind, gentle, and not to be argued with.

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts as they arrived at the edge of the tree line.

"Aren't these off limits, sir?" Lily asked politely.

"Yes, but no," Donovan responded, before holding back a branch so that he could pass by it into the deep shadow of the trees. "Today, it is permitted, since you are joining me, but I warn you, stay on the look out for any signs of a disturbance. These are dangerous times and we are in a dangerous place."

Severus looked doubtful of this, shrugging it off as Hermione would shrug off one of Luna's many theories about gnarbles. Lily looked the opposite, however, and hesitated to enter the forest.

"Come on," Hermione said, nudging Lily gently. "The sooner we get in there, the sooner we can get this over with. Besides, you're a Gryffindor, aren't you?"

Lily nodded bravely, and stepped forward without another thought. Hermione followed her, and was instantly reminded of her adventures with Harry and Ron in this very forest. Although when she had ventured in previously, it had been with Hagrid there to escort them safely. Now, she was accompanied by a mysterious man whom she did not trust in the least bit.

Her hand absent-mindedly reached for her wand, curling her fingers around the cool wood.

"Worried?" questioned Severus wryly.

Hermione frowned. "No, prepared."

Severus laughed softly, though more in spite than in pleasure. "As if you could protect yourself from anything we would find here."

Hermione shook her head at this, but did not retort. For Severus had voiced her exact concerns. If Donovan turned on them, if a dangerous creature stumbled upon them, would she be able to defend them? Or would they perish, the future crumbling to dust, and Harry's mother gone forever….

Ginny jerked awake, startled by a high-pitched screeching. She covered her ears, trying to muffle it, and then realized what the horrid noise was. The alarms she had set to warn them of intruders had been triggered. She cursed under her breath, struggling to stand, and raced out of the branches that had sheltered her as she slept. James and Katie followed her out, their hands clamped over their sensitive ears.

"What in the bloody hell is going on?" James shouted, straining his voice to be heard over the caterwauling of the alarm.

Ginny did not respond at first, instead flicking her wand to stop the alarms. The clearing was plunged into a deep, still silence, in which no one moved. After what felt like an eternity, but was really only a matter of seconds, Ginny's urgent whisper sliced through the stillness.

"We have company."

James and Sirius exchanged a look in the darkness. "What? Who?"

Ginny shook her head, her locks splaying dramatically. "I dunno, but I've a feeling it isn't the Easter bunny."

The children immediately set to work at preparing the small clearing as best they could, though none had much knowledge as to what was helpful and what would be a hindrance. They stumbled clumsily in the dark as they did so, making more noise than was desirable. It would be no great difficulty for the enemy to locate them, even in the shadows of the midnight forest.

Ginny crossed her fingers and hoped desperately that the intruders were not death eaters. They would stand no chance against the Dark Lord's minions, let alone any one else. _Perhaps it was just a deer_, Ginny thought, trying to comfort herself. But it was to no avail. Try as she might, she could not blame the disturbance on an innocent woodland creature, as her own instinct said that it had not been an animal. Goosebumps spread across her pale skin, and her stomach squeezed and squirmed itself into a knot as she waited beside her friends for the intruder to come.

Beside her, Katie shook, and she reached out to grab her hand to try to calm her. Katie may have had her flaws, but she didn't deserve this. None of them did. Katie, James, Sirius… they were all so young, so innocent. She couldn't let them die now, she had to protect them, and with them, she had to protect the future.

James, as if sensing her thoughts, reached out and grasped her shoulder. "We can do this," he said softly, and Ginny nodded.

Before she could respond, though, a bright flash of light came towards them through the darkness, barely missing where they stood. Sirius pulled her to safety behind a bush, and she fell on top of him. She stared into his dark gray eyes as he examined her brown ones, and slowly she moved her face down closer to his. His eyes fluttered shut, his eyelashes tickling her cheek. Ginny smiled softly, and went to kiss him tenderly on his cheek.

He wiped at his cheek, and Ginny giggled. She had forgot how young the boy was, and here was her reminder.

"Stay here," she whispered in his ear. "I'll be back."

He immediately stopped scrubbing at his face, his eyes wide. "You're going out there?"

Ginny nodded bravely, pulling her wand from her pocket, and rolled off her friend and into a crouch. Sirius jumped up beside her, but she pushed him back down, instructing him not to move. How weird it was to give Harry's Godfather orders.

Setting those thoughts aside, she sprinted a few feet to stop behind a towering evergreen. Cautiously peering around the thick trunk, she scanned the shadows of the forest, searching for the attacker. A slight movement caught her eye, and she pulled her wand up, releasing a well-aimed stunner. She heard a thump, and knew that she had hit her target.

To her right, she heard Sirius let out a low whistle of admiration, and she rolled her eyes. Trust Black to get distracted during a battle. James, who came out from the shadows, clapped her on the back. "You saved our lives," he said in awe, before making room for Katie to hug her tightly.

"Thank you, thank you!" The girl cried, squeezing Ginny close to her. Ginny patted her on the back and waited for the tears to subside.

"Right then," she murmured, once Katie had regained control. "We should go find the person I stunned."

The rest of the group nodded, and with a steady "_Lumos"_, Ginny led the way to where the body had fallen.

In the damp, dew stricken foliage lay a girl, her auburn hair curled around her face, hiding her features. Ginny shook her head, knowing who it was before she could even see the face. It was Lily.

"_Ennervate_," she said, and her twin gasped for air as she regained movement of her body.

"Ginny?" Lily asked, her green eyes wide. Ginny nodded, and reached down to help Lily to her feet, before hugging her tightly.

"What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here? We've been worried sick about you," Lily spluttered, her cheeks turning red, alerting Ginny to her anger.

"A portkey," Ginny explained. "A portkey took us here."

Lily looked at her in confusion. "But the portkeys were supposed to take us back to the Hogwarts gate?"

"Ours didn't," James muttered, having come up from behind Ginny.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

James made a noise in the back of his throat as if he was going to respond, but Sirius stopped him before he could start an argument. "Come on," he said, gesturing with his head. "She can get us back to Hogwarts."

Lily nodded. "Yes, I can. But first we need to find the rest of the group."

"Who else is here?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hermione, Severus, Donovan," Lily listed.

As if on cue, a twig snapped announcing the incoming people. Donovan was in front, his wand lit, and a wry smile on his face. Behind him, Severus eyed the group with disgust, and Hermione grinned broadly. Before Hermione could rush to greet the other students, however, Donovan stepped forward to speak.

"You've survived," he said, in an unreadable tone.

Sirius stepped forward and nodded. "Yeah, not a whole lot of thanks to you."

Donovan glared at the boy, causing Sirius to take a small step back. "If you don't watch your tongue," the man threatened dangerously, "then perhaps you won't have to thank me for getting you back safely. I can easily leave you here."

Ginny shook her head. "Sir, he didn't mean it. Thank you for finding us."

Donovan nodded at her, before turning sharply and departing into the depths of the forest. When no one moved to follow him, he turned about once more. "Hurry, lest you desire to stay here."

The students quickly ran to form a cluster behind him, and followed him through the trees and towards the grounds.

After what felt like ages, they arrived on the lawn beside Hagrid's hut. The moon shone down on the greenery, illuminating it eerily. Donovan led them back to the fortress and safety of Hogwarts, stopping once they had passed through the great doors. His eyes set upon each one of them individually, before he opened his mouth to speak. "Mr. and Ms. Snape, Ms. Evans, you are all dismissed. Return to your dormitories immediately."

The students nodded, and sent worried looks to their friends before departing in various directions. Ginny, James, Sirius, and Katie all stood expectantly, waiting for their own orders. Donovan did not give them to them, and instead stared at something behind them, his dark eyes narrowing slightly.

The Gryffindors turned to see what had caught his attention, and were met with the twinkling eyes and gentle smile of their headmaster.

"Ah, I see you have made it back safely," he greeted them, looking them up and down for injury and finding none. "Very good, very good," he murmured.

Katie yawned in response, and Dumbledore chuckled softly. "I can see that the tales of your adventure will have to wait until another day," he said, blue eyes twinkling merrily. "Please, return to the Gryffindor tower and rest up for classes tomorrow."

The students did his bidding, and as they left Ginny only barely heard the headmaster request that Donovan follow him back to his office for a little chat. She couldn't help but grin, knowing that the corrupt teacher would get what he deserved.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, there's another chapter. Sorry that it took so long and that it was so short. I ended up staying on vacation longer than I had planned to, and I got caught up in some rather amazing stories, so this chapter ended up coming a bit late. My apologies. I hope you enjoyed it, and another should be on it's way soon. Thanks, as always, to all the reviewers!

**Silver12:**Well, I tried a few more comparisons this chapter, I hope it went well. Thank you so much for the advise, it's really quite helpful. I don't think this will be a day by day story, that would be rather exhausting, but so far it seems to be... In future chapters there will be more rapid time passing, though. I just wanted to get everything set up and established before moving on. And your hunch about Donovan is very... interesting :) Who knows? I guess you will have to wait and see if you're right... Please keep reviewing! Thanks!

**The Music Lily: **Aww, yeah I love Sirius and Ginny! So adorable! Thanks for the review, hope you liked this chapter.

**Dora Penmoko: **Haha your comment about McGonagall made me laugh! Thanks for the review and the idea with Dumbledore, that is to come in the next chapter... And challenges each chapter would be absolutely wonderful! I will try to read and review one of your stories as soon as I can. Thanks for the review!

**LivingInTheClouds: **I know, Donovan is a weird character, isn't he? But that just makes things more interesting! Muahaha. There will be more to come with him. Thanks for the review! Please continue!

**teamthreesome:** Haha wow good timing! I'm glad you like the pairings, and thanks for the review!

**randaru102: **I had a wonderful time on my trip, thanks! I'm glad to be back though and able to continue the story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reviewing!

**Vicki219: **I'm glad you liked things from Hermione's view! I hope you like this chapter, and please continue to review!

Thanks again for all the reviews, and pleaaaase review some more!

Mischief Maintained


	14. Fun and Fights

Chapter Fourteen

Fun and Fights

The rest of the week passed quickly, the academics picking up, and the homework accumulating. The load wasn't too bad, though, especially for Ginny and Hermione who had experienced it before and were ahead in their workload. It simply limited their friend's free time, which was, in many ways, a good thing. When James and Sirius were left to their own devices trouble was a constant occurrence, and between the homework and adjusting to Hogwarts, the boys were kept relatively quiet.

Professor Donovan had continued to teach them, thoroughly confusing their group. The man had just gotten four of them lost, hadn't cared or taken the time to alert any of the other teachers, and had gotten away with it. Clearly, something was not right. But there he was, up at the staff table, sipping his pumpkin juice and nodding along to one of Slughorn's boastful stories.

"Stupid git," James muttered, seeming to have been observing the same person as Ginny. She couldn't help but to agree, although she felt a small wave of shame at calling a professor such a name. It seemed as though Lily and Hermione were rubbing off on her.

"I don't get how he still has a teaching position," Remus pondered.

Hermione, who had just appeared, sat beside him, dishing food onto her plate. "What's that?"

"We were just wondering how it's possible that Donovan hasn't been sacked," commented Sirius.

Hermione frowned, as if thinking, then gestured up at Dumbledore. "He must like him a lot," she said, before taking a bite of a roll.

James nodded. "Wonder why. He seems like a right git to me."

Lily glared at him. "Yes, we know what you think of him, Potter. It isn't necessary to state your opinion over and over, or even at all, if you're going to be rude."

James rolled his eyes, but sighed in resignation. He had learned rather quickly that it was not worth it to argue with the redhead; their fights ended in the rest of the group upset with them, and normally, a detention for Potter.

"Speaking of gits," Sirius drawled, "what about Snivellus? I do believe we had a prank planned before the whole Donovan trying to kill us fiasco."

The marauders immediately broke into grins, each boy leaning in conspiratorially. Ginny rolled her eyes, but leaned in too, wanting to be a part of the plan.

Hermione and Lily, though, looked on in horror as the boys and Ginny whispered quietly to each other, occasionally laughing.

"I can't believe we put up with this," Hermione commented, shaking her head in mock disappointment at her friends.

"I have no clue why we do," Lily added, before leaning over to whisper in Hermione's ear, "Do you think we should warn Severus?"

Hermione bit her lip, torn. She knew that warning the boy was the right thing to do, but he had been so rude to her and Lily lately, that she wasn't sure if he deserved it.

"I suppose we should," she muttered, shaking her head. The boys would kill her for foiling their plan, but she knew it was worth it if she could earn Severus' friendship back.

"Come on," Lily said, and the girls left the table, stopped in the common room to gather their book bags, and went to the library to study. They had decided that they would wait until they knew when and what their friends were planning before they warned Severus, as it would be pointless for him to know that a prank was coming his way when he could do nothing to avoid it.

The two girls settled down at the end of one of the rows near the back. It was beside a window looking over the lake, and provided a beautiful view of the grounds.

Lily made a noise of disgust and retrieved her potions essay from her bag. While she was brilliant in class, she wasn't in the mood to research the effects of various potions and their ingredients. Hermione sympathized with her friend, and offered to help her, seeing as she had completed said essay the previous evening.

After laboring over the essay for a little more than an hour, Lily deemed it complete, and left Hermione alone in the library. The brunette appreciated the solitude, and made good use of it, searching for books on time travel. Unfortunately, all the volumes she found held nothing of great importance. They all concerned time turners and other contraptions, and they simply discussed what happened when travelling mere days back instead of years. She found that she already knew almost all of this information, thanks to her experience with a time turner in her third year, and that the answer to her worries was not in any common book. She would have to find a way into the restricted section in order to find any more information, and that in itself would be a challenge, let alone finding the books she needed.

"Ginny, do you mind finding a crown? Or tiara of sorts?" James asked, grinning at the thought of their victim after the prank.

"I don't mind at all," she said, beaming, "I would hate for our little princess to go without."

Sirius let out a bark of laughter, and the boys were quick to join in.

"I can come with you, if you want," offered Peter with a shy smile.

Ginny fought the urge to slap him, and instead accepted his offer, putting on a smile for show. It wouldn't do for the other boys to realize her hatred of Peter and become suspicious. "That'd be great, Peter. Maybe we can look tomorrow?"

Peter nodded, and they agreed upon a meeting time.

Lily, who had returned from the library a while ago, and was watching the group with interest, stood and approached them. "Have you started your homework yet?" she questioned them, and immediately the boys groaned.

"No, mum," Sirius teased, earning a scowl.

"Come on, we may as well get it over with," Remus said, sending pointed looks to each of the boys. They groaned once more, but grudgingly fetched their book bags and settled in at a table to work. Lily nodded approvingly, and came to sit beside Ginny, who had finished her homework with Hermione the day before. There really was nothing like a giant bookworm to keep you ahead of your classes.

"So, what are you guys planning?" Lily asked, trying her best to look innocent.

"Why do you want to know?" Ginny asked, though not unkindly.

Lily shrugged. "I don't know, it seems interesting."

Ginny laughed, "Interesting? You think a prank is _interesting_?"

The girl colored, knowing that her lie had been far too obvious to sneak past her twin sister. Ginny, though, didn't seem to mind that she had been lied to, and rather laughed it off.

"Really, though, why do you want to know?"

"Oh, just making conversation," Lily said, before yawning. "I think I'll go to bed," she said, before hugging her sister goodnight, and retreating up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

Ginny watched her sister's back as she left, wondering what had made Lily so interested in the prank. She shrugged it off, though, as Hermione came in and sat beside her, an unreadable look on her face.

"Hey, 'Mione," she greeted her friend.

Hermione nodded in response, still seeming to be lost in her thoughts.

"How was the library?"

"Good, as always," Hermione replied pleasantly, seeming to have forgotten whatever had occupied her so. "I need your help with something."

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Really? In regards to the library? Oh I never thought this day would come," Ginny continued to give a rather long winded thank you speech, finally stopping after she had bowed dramatically.

Hermione laughed. "Wow, I never knew you to be a fan of award shows."

Ginny shrugged. "Well, Mrs. Evans did rather like them, and I must say they've grown on me."

The brunette grinned at her friend, just imagining Ron's face if Ginny had admitted that to him. He would have laughed hysterically at this confession, never letting the girl live it down. Thinking of Ron brought a sharp pang to her chest, but she locked it away before it could grow into anything more.

"Anyways, I needed help breaking into the restricted section."

Ginny looked at her in confusion. "Why do you need my help for that? Haven't you, Ron, and Harry managed it before?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, but they're not here," she said, trailing off as she realized what she had just said. Both girls remained quiet, lost in their thoughts, and it was not until Remus joined them that they shook out of their states.

"You two all right?" he questioned, perching on the coffee table in front of them. The girls nodded in unison, causing Remus to raise an eyebrow, but he let it go.

"We actually were planning something," Ginny said, sending a look to Hermione.

Remus grinned. "Oh, and what's that?"

Hermione leaned forward in her seat to be closer to Remus, and whispered in his ear, "We want to sneak into the restricted section of the library."

The boy let loose a torrent of laughter, drawing the attention of a few other students in the room. He continued laughing for a while, until Hermione smacked him lightly upside the head. "What?"

"I just think it's funny that the only mischief you get up to is in the library. To get books, nonetheless."

Hermione scowled at him playfully, "Hey, I can be a troublemaker too, you know," she argued. If only she could see his face if he knew all of what she had gotten up to her previous time at Hogwarts.

He looked back at her skeptically, his warm brown eyes dancing before her. He reached out to pat her hand, as if comforting her. "Now, now, Hermione, it's quite alright if you're a goody-goody. Nothing to be ashamed of."

Hermione jerked her hand out from under his, opening her mouth to protest. "I'm a goody-goody? Oh yeah? Well I bet that someday you'll be a professor!"

Ginny started laughing hysterically at this, as the combination of the comment and the disgusted look on Remus' face was too much to handle.

"Professor Lupin?" Sirius commented, having finished his work. "Has a ring to it."

Remus grabbed one of the many pillows scattered about the plush couches, launching it at his friend, catching him totally by surprise.

"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed, before grabbing his own ammunition and sending it flying back towards the boy.

Soon, the entire Gryffindor common room had erupted into a giant pillow fight, students from each grade joining in. Furniture was overturned as students used tables and sofas to shelter behind as they launched pillows at their friends from across the room.

Remus, who had started the whole thing, chased Sirius about the room, charming pillows to fly after his friend. Hermione, wishing to prove herself to Remus as a troublemaker, chased him about the room, overturning anything that came in her way.

"Ha! I got you!" she shouted in victory, after landing a particularly solid blow on the boy. He turned to get revenge on her, but was shoved by Sirius, and instead fell into the girl.

"Oops, sorry," Sirius said, clearly not apologetic, before waltzing off to assault James with a couch cushion, and leaving the two alone.

Remus reached out a hand to help Hermione up, but she grasped his arm, and yanked him down onto the floor with her. Grabbing a pillow, she straddled him, hitting him about the head.

"I win!" she exclaimed, but her victory dance was cut short as she spotted a very stern looking face in the cloud of feathers that was the Gryffindor common room.

"Uh-oh," she said, pointing to Professor McGonagall. Remus, following her stare, saw the woman and flinched. It would not be pretty when she found out who exactly had started the whole fiasco.

The common room soon quieted, each of the students wearing grins that stretched across their faces, that did not falter even as they became aware of their head of house among their midst.

McGonagall surveyed the room, her hawk-like eyes scanning the overturned furniture, spilled ink, and feathers. "What, in Merlin's name, is going on here?"

The room was silent, except for one James Potter, who stepped up in front of her with a cheeky grin. "House bonding, ma'am."

She looked down her sharp nose at the boy, her eyes narrowing at him, but he stood his ground under her watch, his grin still in place.

"I see," she said, taking another look about the ruined room. "Who started this?"

Remus stepped forward, his head bowed, expecting a punishment. "I did," he said, raising his hand slowly.

McGonagall stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face. "In that case, fifty points to Gryffindor for Mr. Lupin's actions to bring his house together."

The room stood in shock, then began cheering loudly, the seventh year boys rushing to hoist Remus into the air. McGonagall watched this with a tight smile, and then held up her hand for quiet once more.

"I must ask, however, that you return the room to the state that it was before."

The Gryffindors nodded enthusiastically.

"Very well, continue," the woman said, before levitating a pillow to fly towards James, smacking him lightly on the back of his head, messing up his hair even more.

"Hey!" he shouted, going to throw a pillow back at her, but she had retreated into her office with an uncharacteristic grin. He shook his head, but settled for attacking Peter instead.

The madness ensued for another hour, until everyone but Sirius and James had collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily. The two boys still continued to chase each other around the large room, cackling evilly as they landed solid blows. At last even they were still, and the entire Gryffindor house laid exhausted upon the thick rugs that adorned the wood floor.

"That was epic. Absolutely epic," one of the fifth years commented, taking in the mess that had resulted from the endless fun.

A seventh year, Marty Jones, beamed, and added, "too true. The most epic event that has ever occurred within this tower." He reached over to tousle Remus' hair. "And to think, a wee little first year started it."

The entire house gave up a loud cheer, clapping Remus on the back and congratulating him on his shenanigans.

A few bodies over, James and Sirius grinned at each other. "This is the most epic thing that has ever happened?" Sirius asked incredulously.

James grinned, "Apparently."

"Well, then they're in for quite the adventure with us," Sirius said, reaching over to shake James' hand enthusiastically.

"Oh yes, they won't know what hit them."

After a long day of classes Ginny wanted nothing more than to sit back and relax, but she knew that wasn't an option. She had to meet Peter in front of the Gryffindor common room, take him on a quest to find a tiara, and then Merlin only knew what.

With a sigh, she began to make her way towards the painting of the fat lady. James, who had just finished a rather heated argument with Lily, soon joined her.

"I can't believe her!" he exclaimed, running his hand through his unruly black locks.

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't comment. She figured it would be best to let the boy rant for a while and release some of the pent up energy.

"She actually accused me of being ungrateful! _Lily_, of all people! I'm the one who saved her and that stupid greasy git from drowning, and not once did she thank me, and now she's calling me ungrateful?"

Ginny wanted to roll her eyes at the boy's dramatics, but instead let it slide. She had known coming back in time that she would have to endure this, but she hadn't realized just how bad it would be.

"Well, there's Peter," she said hurriedly, never quite so excited to see the boy. "Better get going. Good luck with Lily, James," she called, as she went over to greet Peter.

He smiled up at her from his short stature, his blue eyes watery, but his smile friendly. "Hey, Ginny! James and Lily fighting again?"

Ginny nodded. "Of course. Come on, let's go before James decides to join us and goes on and on for hours about how furious he is."

Peter agreed to this, and they set out away from the ranting boy, who had just found Sirius to torture.

"Poor Sirius," Peter said.

"Eh, he deserved it," she said, thinking back to how the argument had been started. After all, it had been Sirius' fault.

"So where are we going to find a tiara?" Peter asked, grinning at the mention of the prank.

Ginny shrugged. "I'm not really sure, but I think I know a place that might have one."

She led the way to the room of requirement, and upon arriving, pretended to look lost.

"Peter? Do you think you could check the next corridor over? It might be there, actually."

Peter nodded, and set off, leaving Ginny alone.

She turned to look at where the door normally was, contemplating if it was worth it. What if the room took her right back to the battle? What if she got lost in time again, even further from home and without Hermione and the marauders? Ginny shook her head. No, that was unlikely. She just had to be careful what she wished for when she went about opening the room.

She quickly paced back and forth, imagining a room in which she could find a tiara. A door appeared, and she reached out for it hesitantly. Reminding herself that she was a Gryffindor, a brave one at that, Ginny reached out and pulled the door open.

Inside, piles and piles of various items were stacked up to the ceiling, flooding the room with junk. A comic book here, a dung bomb there, the entire room was filled to the brim. Ginny strolled through the aisles, feeling almost as though she were Moses parting the red sea, something that she had learnt of during church with the Evans.

As she walked, she felt more and more lost, as if she were in a maze of books and toys and prank materials. As she wound her way through the clutter, she spotted a statue, with a diadem upon it. She grinned ruefully, snatching it up. This would work perfectly. With no further though, Ginny tucked the crown beneath her robes, and exited the room to find Peter.

He stood admiring the picture of the trolls attempting to learn ballet, and did not notice as the door appeared, and then disappeared.

"Peter?" Ginny called, and they boy turned to face her.

"I didn't see any rooms that looked promising," Peter said, hanging his head in disappointment.

Ginny grinned. "That's fine, because I found a tiara that'll work, I think. We'll have to show it to the rest of them, but I think it should do."

Peter's eye lit up with excitement. "Can I see it?" he begged, practically bouncing up and down.

Ginny looked both ways, and after being sure that no one was there to see, she pulled it out and handed it to him. His eyes widened, and his pudgy little face broke out into a wide grin.

"Oh, James, Sirius, and Remus are going to love it!" he said, before skipping off towards the Gryffindor tower. Ginny rolled her eyes, but followed the boy, excited to see the reactions of the other marauders as well.

James and Sirius lounged about in their dormitory, while Remus did his homework in an armchair that they had dragged up from the common room in the middle of the night. While the dorms were nice, they had hoped for a bit more of a cozy area, and by smuggling a few chairs they had succeeded in creating a more comfy aura about the room.

When the door burst open, the three boys jumped, and turned to see who it was. Peter, his face red and his breathing heavy, stood in front of them holding a tiara fitting of queen. James and Sirius exchanged a glance, before rushing to the boy to examine the item more closely. It would be perfect!

The door opening once more caused them to look up again, and there stood Ginny, her uniform in disarray, but her freckled face filled with a grin.

"How'd you get up here?" Remus questioned, surprised that a female could enter the male dorms.

"Followed Peter," she said, not thinking twice about it.

James and Sirius exchanged a glance at this, and broke out in matching grins.

"Say, Remy, you don't suppose that it would let us up into the girls' dormitories?"

Ginny and Remus made noises of disgust, while Peter flushed at the thought of what the boys were suggesting.

Shaking her head, Ginny reached over to take the diadem from Peter, trying to distract the two boys before they charged off to climb the stairs and wreak havoc upon the Gryffindor females.

"So, do you think this will do?" she asked, waving it in front of their faces.

James licked his lips. "Oh, definitely," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

"It will look positively lovely on our darling little princess," Sirius exclaimed, acting as if he were a proud parent.

Remus sighed dreamily, going along with the act. "Oh yes, it will look so adorable, and it will go with that dress so charmingly."

Ginny broke out into laughter and was joined by the boys. Oh yes, the diadem and the dress would be perfect for the prank.

"Pass the bacon," Sirius grumbled, barely looking up from the pancake he was currently devouring. Hermione rolled her eyes, but passed it to him anyways. It would be best to keep the boy in a good mood if she were to find out what prank he was planning. The fact that he was up so early on a Saturday was astounding, and she thought that perhaps this fact had to do with the upcoming prank.

The rest of their group had yet to appear for breakfast, leaving Sirius and Hermione alone in comfortable silence. The two probably would have been talking had it not been for Sirius' eating habits, which left little time for conversation.

At last, he finished his plate and didn't reach for more, signaling to Hermione that it was her time to move.

"So, Sirius, what are you up to today?" she asked, sending him a bright smile.

The boy shrugged, "I dunno. Probably play some quidditch with the guys, take a nap, the usual."

Hermione laughed. That did sound like a pretty typical Saturday for Sirius.

"Well, what about this evening? What are you up to then?"

Sirius leaned forward, staring into her eyes intensely. "Are you asking me out?" he asked, sending her wink.

Hermione colored, and shook her head dramatically. "Ah, no, of course not!"

Sirius pretended to pout at her reaction. "What? Am I not good enough for you?" he burst into fake tears, which sounded more like laughter.

Hermione shook her head, but reached out to pat his shoulder comfortingly. "Oh Sirius, it's not you, it's me."

The boy looked up at her, grinning from ear to ear.

"Ha! I knew it was you all along!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Whatever. So, what are you doing tonight?"

The boy shrugged, but she saw a flicker of mischief cross his eyes. Bingo. Without waiting for him to respond, she got up from the table and left to find her brother.

She found him alone in the hall on his way to breakfast, and carefully approached him. Their last encounter hadn't been particularly terrible, but the detention still had not gone entirely smoothly between them.

"Severus," she said quietly waiting for him to stop. He did, and slowly turned to look at her.

"Yes?" he asked, looking at her with calculating beetle black eyes.

"I wanted to talk to you for a moment," she said, desiring to get to the point quickly before conflict could occur.

Severus looked torn for a moment, but nodded. "Fine, but somewhere private."

Hermione agreed to this, and they entered the empty charms classroom. She sat calmly upon the table, and waiting for him to seat himself as well.

"How are you?" she asked, unable to resist asking. Yes, he had been incredibly evil to her and her friends in the future, but this was her brother. She knew he cared for her, although he didn't often show it, and she knew, deep down, she cared for him.

"I'm well," he answered her, not returning the question. "So, I presume that is not why you wished to talk to me?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "I had actually hoped to talk to you so that I could warn you against attending dinner tonight."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "And why shouldn't I attend?"

The brunette looked down at her hands, fidgeting slightly with her fingers, before looking up to meet the boy's eyes. "Some boys are planning a rather nasty prank on you," she said softly, hoping not to trigger his anger.

She was not successful in this, though, as Severus leapt to his feet, coming to stand before her menacingly.

"You came to warn me about them? As if I need any warning. I can protect myself; I don't need your help. You're embarrassing, you know that?"

Hermione shook her head. "I thought you should know," she said, before making to leave.

Severus, though, would not allow it. He stepped to the side to block her way to the door. "I meant what I said. You're _embarrassing_. To me, to mum, even to dad. The way you talk to mudbloods, the way you—"

"—That's enough, Severus," Hermione said, her voice dangerously low.

"Is it?" he asked, before slapping her hard across her face, leaving a red handprint across her cheek. He turned and left, leaving his sister to cry on the floor, and leaving their relationship in shambles.

* * *

**A/N:** I received a review requesting that I shorten my author's notes, and I thought it to be a sensible suggestion. For that reason, I will no longer be responding to reviews at the end of each chapter. If anyone could possibly suggest a different way to reply, that would be brilliant. I also will not be including a disclaimer each chapter, as it is not necessary.

I would like to say a huge thank you to all reviewers, as well as those who have added this story to their favorites list, or even put it on alert. You guys are awesome!

I was also wondering if the summary of my story was boring, or lacking in excitement? Please let me know your thoughts on it, or if you have any suggestions on how to draw more readers.

Thanks,

Mischief Maintained


	15. Pranks and Plays

Chapter Fifteen

Pranks and Plays

Remus strolled across the flagstone at a leisurely pace, enjoying his Saturday morning thoroughly. While it had only been a matter of weeks since he had arrived at Hogwarts, he had already fallen into a steady routine. Each Saturday morning, before breakfast, he would wander through the castle. He wasn't sure where this tradition had descended from. Possibly from getting lost his first Saturday at the school, or perhaps from his occasional trips to the owlery, but wherever this tradition had hailed from, he knew it was one that would stay with him for the rest of his Hogwarts experience.

The quiet of the corridors in the morning while all the others slept was refreshing compared to the usual loud noise created by the gossip and laughter of students. Something about walking through the halls was calming to him, and it was if his walks through the castle reassured him that he was meant to be here. The more familiar he got with the halls, the secret passageways, and the decorations, the more he felt at home. With his secret, it was hard to feel that way, but something about the quiet, still corridors welcomed him.

He was considering these thoughts, the comfortableness of the castle, when he heard a noise down the hall. It sounded almost as though someone was crying. Remus frowned, and moved towards the noise cautiously. It could be Peeves, after all, and he had no desire to run into the rowdy poltergeist.

As he neared the sobs, he found himself outside of a classroom. With a look in either direction, he pushed the door open, to find Hermione curled against the wall, her hand held to her burning red cheek. Without speaking, he went to sit beside her, leaning back against the cool stone wall. After watching her for a minute or so, unsure of what to do, he reached out and gently took her hand away from her face to examine what had happened to her cheek.

His stomach twisted as he saw the handprint, his heart burning with desire to go find whoever did it and sock them in the face. But he knew that Hermione did not need that right now. What she needed was someone to take care of her, to calm her down, to help her heal. And he would do the best he could to make his friend feel happy once more.

"Hermione," he said softly, causing her to look up at him. Her tearstained brown eyes begged for him to leave, but he would not. "I'm not leaving until you stop crying," he said stubbornly.

Hermione's lips tightened, but she didn't respond. Remus sighed, and reached an arm around her, drawing her closer to him. He hugged his friend to him, trying to chase away the bad memory, doing his best to convey to her that even if whoever had hit her did not care for her, he did. She was his friend, one of his best friends, and it hurt him to see her hurt.

Hermione's tears soaked into Remus' shirt, but still he did not leave, staying steady as a rock as she let loose her emotions. At last, her eyes dried, and her sobs quieted. He held her still for a few more minutes, wanting to be sure she was really done. When he was convinced, he pulled away from her slightly so he could see her face.

The red mark was still there, and her eyes were rimmed with red as well, but the expression in her eyes had changed. It was no longer desperate or pleading, but instead she had regained her look of control and determination.

"I'm sorry, Remus," she said softly, gesturing to his shirt.

"No problem," he responded, not even sparing a look to his clothing.

"I don't usually cry this often," she said, looking away.

Remus nodded. "I know."

She looked up at him, and silently thanked him for understanding.

"You want to get breakfast?" he asked her, after a few moments.

Hermione shook her head. "I already ate."

"Well, then let's find something else to do. Break into the restricted section, maybe?"

Hermione laughed softly, and rubbed at her face. "That sounds like it'd be alright. Let me go clean up first, and then we can get to work on our first robbery."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "First? As in you think there will be more?"

"Maybe, you never know," she responded, before exiting the classroom in search of the loo.

"So what is it that you're trying to get from the restricted section?"

Hermione froze. She hadn't thought of that when she had asked Remus for help. If she were to mention she was looking for a book on time travel, that would be practically handing him half of the puzzle completed.

"Oh, just a book," she said, trying desperately to think of an excuse to get out of going to the library. "It's nothing important, really. Actually, I think I'd rather spend the day outside."

Remus looked at her with an odd look on her face, before coming to a realization. "Ohh, I see. You're chicken!" He then proceeded to break into the chicken dance, earning a hearty laugh from his friend.

Hermione shook her head at him, trying to hold back a grin. "I can't believe you, Remus Lupin. You're just as bad as James and Sirius."

"Hey! We resent that remark!" two voices retorted, seeming to have appeared from nowhere.

"No, you resemble it," Hermione said, before hugging her two friends in greeting.

"What happened to your face?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Allergies," Remus said quickly, covering for her. "Turns out she's allergic to something she ate."

Sirius frowned. "You seemed fine when we were eating."

Hermione bit her lip. "I guess it took a while before it reacted," she said, trying to keep her voice steady so as not to expose the lie.

"Well that's too bad," James said. "You should have Madam Pompfrey take a look at it."

Hermione groaned. The nurse would never buy her lie, and it would be obvious to the woman that something abusive had happened. Hermione frowned, but quickly responded, "No way! She'll never let me back out."

Her excuse seemed to work well enough, as the boys nodded, and asked what it was that they were up to. Seeing as they had decided against going to the library, their day was free, and they decided to join the boys outside.

After settling under a beech tree close to the lake, the boys had begun to talk animatedly about quidditch, leaving Hermione to her thoughts. As they discussed the game, she briefly pondered what had happened between her and Severus. She had never known him to be violent, but it was not surprising to her that he was now. Their father had often adopted violent methods while drunk, and she was sure that the boy had learnt from the bad example his father and provided. Hermione sighed. Why was everything so messed up? She had just tried to help him, but he hadn't accepted her help, and had instead hit her. Maybe he really was bitter already, and there wasn't a particular result that had shaped him into the man he would become. Perhaps he was already that way, and beyond changing. But Hermione shook her head. She had seen good in the boy, and she knew, given time, she could capitalize on it and possibly save him from what he would become.

It was then that she decided that she would change the future. Not to save James and Lily from death, not to save Sirius from Azkaban, not to save Harry from a lonely childhood, but to save Severus from himself.

"Hey," Lily greeted Hermione, settling down beside her and startling her from her thoughts.

"Hi," Hermione responded, sending a smile in the redhead's direction.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked, reaching out to touch the mark on her face tenderly. It had faded since the fight, but was still noticeable.

"I'm fine," Hermione said. "But I think we should talk later."

"About what?" Lily pressed, wanting to know the details about what had happened to her friend.

"Severus," she whispered fiercely, hoping the boys wouldn't hear.

Lily's eyes grew wide. "Severus?"

Hermione nodded.

"Oh you poor thing!" Lily cried, taking Hermione into her arms and hugging her tightly to her. Over Lily's shoulder, she saw James roll his eyes at the girls' actions, and Sirius muttered something about females. She sent him a mock glare, making sure that he knew she had heard him. He stuck his tongue out at her, but before she could respond, Ginny and Peter appeared.

Once more, she explained the red on her face to Ginny, and gave Peter the excuse about allergies. When it was done, she laid back against the tree, sighing with content.

Ginny watched Hermione as she rested, searching her face for any sign of what her thoughts were. Something so little as a slap could have huge emotional side effects in the long term, and she wouldn't tolerate her best friend having to deal with any such feelings. Hermione was one of the best people she had ever met, and if Snape didn't realize that, then it was his loss, his blunder, and Hermione's gain. She deserved better than him, anyway, and it was time that she saw that. She would have to talk to her friend later, in a more private setting. For now, she would let the girl sleep.

"Quidditch anyone?" James asked with a grin, little dimples appearing in his youthful features.

Sirius immediately jumped up, running to stand beside James with a gleeful expression.

"Peter?"

The boy eyed the quidditch pitch nervously, but agreed nonetheless. He didn't care for being left out, and he knew that missing this game would change things.

"Remus?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Excellent," James muttered, glad to see that his bookish friend was up for a rough and tumble game. "Ladies?"

Ginny and Lily exchanged a glance, and then looked over to where Hermione slept.

"It sounds fun, but I think we should stay with Hermione," Lily said, trying her best not to sound disappointed. The fact that Lily was actually excited to play the sport made Ginny very happy, and once the boys left she couldn't help but suggest that they watch the makeshift game. Lily agreed, and they moved the checkered blanket they'd been sitting on to the other side of the tree for a better view, leaving Hermione dozing in the shade.

"Oh, I hope I get a tan," Lily sighed, looking at her pale skin dreamily.

"Not likely," said Ginny, though not without disappointment. "All we ever do is freckle. And Burn."

Lily nodded. "True. I wonder if wizards use sun block? Or maybe they have some sort of spell or charm instead."

"Maybe," Ginny said, although she knew already that there was a spell. Mrs. Weasley had used it obsessively on her when she was a child, not wanting to risk her only daughter's fair skin.

"It's so _different_ here," Lily confessed, taking in the game of quidditch that went on above them as she spoke. "I mean, did you ever even fancy that we'd someday be watching a game played up in the air? On flying brooms of all things?"

Ginny smiled at the delight and wonderment in Lily's voice, and the obvious pleasure that the wizarding world brought to her. For this girl, Hogwarts really was a dream come true, and the same had been, or would be, for her son.

The rest of the afternoon flew by, quite literally. The boys played quidditch for the greater part of the day, darting back and forth on their brooms, occasionally pausing for breaks and laughter. None of them were the most skilled flyers, seeing as they were still so young, but Ginny recognized natural talent in both Sirius and James. With some practice and a little more experience, she had no doubt that they would make the quidditch team in the years to come.

"That was brilliant," Ginny said, praising the boys as they returned.

"I've never seen anything like it," Lily added, looking thoroughly impressed.

James puffed up at the compliments, running his hand through his hair as if to draw even more attention to himself. Ginny could see why Lily found him so infuriating at times. The boy was a bit big headed.

"Well, should we head back to the castle?" asked Hermione, who had come out of her slumber quite some time ago.

"Oh, yes, dinner!" Peter said excitedly, though he was looking forward to far more than just the food.

As the children began to make their way up the slope, Ginny found herself falling into step with Sirius. She looked over at him, taking in his windswept hair that curled and bunched messily.

"You look like James," she teased, earning a look of pure shock and horror.

"I look like _James_? AHH NO!" he exclaimed, desperately combing at his hair with his fingers.

James, hearing his friend, had come over to hit him, much as a sibling would. "Hey! That's a compliment, not an insult," James said, sticking his head out in what he thought was an attractive manner.

"No, noo, my hair!" Sirius continued, causing James to tackle him to the grass, and tousle his hair, deliberately mussing it further.

Remus shook his head at his friends' antics, and led Peter away; saying something about needing to check to be sure everything was in place. Ginny, who knew exactly what he meant to do, grinned evilly, leaving Hermione and Lily to exchange wary glances. Hermione could only hope that Severus would heed her warning, although she doubted it after his earlier violence. He was far too proud to take his sister's words of advice, and it would serve him right to learn his lesson this way.

"Shall we?" Lily asked, turning towards the direction Peter and Remus had gone.

Hermione nodded, and the three girls made to leave, but Ginny was stopped by a small hand on her shoulder. She turned, and seeing it was Sirius, sighed exasperatedly.

"It's not my fault your hair is ruined," she exclaimed, thinking that was the reason for him stopping her.

He shook his head though, and pulled her aside, waving for the rest of the group to go on without them.

"I wanted to ask you something," he said, almost nervously.

"Okay," Ginny said, eying the young boy carefully. "What?"

"Err, well, I was wondering about back when we were stranded. How did you know how to heal my arm?" he rubbed the scar absentmindedly, his gray eyes boring into hers for an answer. Never before had Ginny met an eleven year old with such striking and forceful eyes. Even Harry's somber green eyes held no competition for the power that was held in Sirius' gray orbs.

She sighed, knowing that the answer to this question would be hard. "Well, I used some muggle methods," she said, hoping that he had been in too much pain at the time to have realized that she had used spells as well.

He shook his head though. "You used magic. And in the prank, too. How do you do it?"

"Well, I am a witch, you know," she said, turning to follow their friends.

"I know," Sirius said, striding behind her. "It's just that you did magic that even I can't do, and you're, well you know…" he trailed off, not completing the sentence.

"I'm what? Muggleborn? A Mudblood?"

Sirius fell silent, hearing the poison in her voice.

"Just because I'm not a high and mighty pureblood like you, doesn't mean I can't do magic. I was wrong. You're _just_ like your family."

With that, Ginny turned sharply on her heel, and left him alone on the grounds, a lonely figure in an otherwise bright afternoon.

"So, we all set?" James asked, his eyes twinkling mysteriously.

Remus smirked. "All ready."

"Excellent. Sirius and Ginny were still outside when I left, but where's the rest of the group? It'd be a shame for them to miss our debut."

The two boys were already settled down in their seats along the Gryffindor table, strategically sitting so that they'd have the best possible view of the raised area where the professors ate.

"Peter had an assignment to turn in. "Remus consulted his watch. "And we're early."

"That's a first."

Remus shot James a pointed look, making it clear to the other boy that he thought their usual tardiness was completely his fault.

James held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, hey, it's not my fault that I'm so handsome I can't part with my reflection!"

Remus rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you just said that."

"Neither can I. Oh Merlin, I sound like a girl."

"Is that a bad thing?"

The dark haired boy looked up to see Hermione, her bushy brown hair nearly escaping from her braid, and her lips twisted into a frown. The look passed, however, and she sat upon the bench with a heavy sigh.

"You okay?" he asked, concerned.

She nodded. "Just tired, that's all."

Remus, though, knew that was not the case. Under the table he nudged her with his foot, spurring a silent conversation with their eyes. James was unaware of this, though, and became distracted upon setting eyes on Lily Evans, who had taken a seat further down the table with her dorm mates, occasionally looking away from them to send a glare in his direction. It appeared that she had not yet forgotten their quarrel.

James' staring was interrupted by a seething Ginny sitting down across from him, and a few minutes later, an enraged Sirius. Looking between the two, it was clear that they resented each other, as they determinedly avoided looking in the other's direction.

"Lovers' quarrel?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at the two in an attempt to cheer them.

"Sod off," Ginny and Sirius said at the same time, their gloomy tones mixing together to create a vicious reply. James backed off, leaving the two to mope, and instead turned to engage Remus in conversation.

"When's it gonna go off?" he whined, as if he couldn't wait any longer.

"Once the meal's served," Remus said quietly, being careful to remain unheard.

James crossed his arms and huffed.

At last, food appeared on the table, and the students dug in eagerly. Nothing happened for a few minutes, but James found himself sitting on the edge of his seat in anticipation.

"Oh this will be good," he muttered, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

"What's that?" Hermione asked, sending him an odd look.

He didn't respond, though, his eyes glazed over and staring behind her. Hermione twisted in her seat to see what had happened and barely stifled a laugh at the scene that greeted her.

It was as if she was back in her third year defense against the dark arts class and Neville was facing the boggart. This time, though, instead of wearing Neville's grandmother's clothes, Severus was outfitted in something a little more elegant.

Thigh length and a soft sage green, his dress flattered him in a way that both disgusted and amazed Hermione. His thin figure had been manipulated by the garment into looking feminine, almost _curvy_? Hermione's mouth opened in horror. Never had she seen a sight so disturbing, so horrifying, so _pale_.

The entire great hall had gone quiet, a state of shock settling over the crowd. It was broken, however, by the horrified head of Slytherin's exclamation of "My dear boy, put some trousers on!" Slughorn waved his wand, conjuring a pair of pants for the poor boy. Severus, though, would not accept them, turning his overgrown nose up in the air snobbishly.

"Pants?" a delightfully high voice questioned, much to the boy's extreme horror. He turned towards the marauders, as if knowing it had been them who'd arranged the prank. As he did so, face contorted into what would have been a death glare if it had not been for the heavy makeup caked onto his dark features. Ruining the look of complete anger, his ruby painted lips opened to proclaim, "pants are not befitting for a fairy, let alone a queen fairy like me!"

Sure enough, perched upon his long, greasy locks was a fragile crown marking him as royalty. It sparkled in the candle light, bedazzled beyond belief. Hermione gasped as she realized just what was upon his head; Ravenclaw's diadem! Where had they found it? But before she could have more of a reaction, she was distracted by yet another uncharacteristic action from her brother.

"Now, now, your outfit isn't fitting of the fairy court either," the boy said, his face still scrunched into a scowl. His manicured hand moved against his will towards the purse that hung from his dainty arm, and pulled out a wand, topped with a large star and tassels. He waved it, spreading sparkles and fairy dust over his professor, and before the school's eyes, Slughorn's outfit was transformed into an overly tight pink leotard, and long, fragile wings grew from his back.

Severus waved his wand once more, and the rest of the Slytherin table was transformed into fairies, who quickly came to bow and curtsy before him, chanting, "Snivellus is our queen! Snivellus is our queen!"

Dumbledore, who had watched the whole display with amusement, finally stepped forward, wand drawn.

James groaned, exchanging a mournful glance with Sirius. They had been hoping the show would last longer before the headmaster put an end to it.

But, to their delight, when the old man waved his wand, instead of the madness ending, it was simply enhanced. The Hufflepuffs, who had been watching the scene mirthfully, were transformed into furry woodland creatures; the Ravenclaws were made into butterflies, which flew merrily through the large room. Then, Dumbledore turned to the Gryffindor table, a twinkle in his eye. He waved his wand, and their clothing was changed into fine muggle clothing of the past.

"Hermia," he said, waving his wand at Hermione, who immediately shrunk to a short stature, and clutched at Remus, who had been transformed into Lysander. Dumbledore then proceeded to change the rest of the table into partners and characters from the play _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. Ginny became Helena; Sirius was changed to Demetrius. James, himself, was shifted to be Oberon, the king of the fairies, and found himself painted in colorful blues and greens. Remus was made into Puck, while Peter was made to have the head of an ass.

"Very good," the headmaster said, looking his students over. "Now, for the final touch." With a wink at McGonagall, he transformed the whole of the teachers' table to wear medieval costumes, huge, frilly collars and all. He did not forget himself, and quickly transfigured himself to resemble William Shakespeare.

The students, besides the disgruntled Slytherins, laughed hysterically at this addition to the scene. Dumbledore then stood, holding his hands up for silence.

"Now, to keep this educational, I propose that we act out the show," he said, and upon spotting looks of skepticism, he added, "if you do, then perhaps I can arrange for a homework free night on Monday."

The students cheered loudly, and proceeded to act out the play. William Shakespeare, unknown to the muggle community, had been a wizard, and had published his work against the wizarding law. As a result of this, the entire student body knew of his work, regardless of whether muggleborn or pureblood, and everyone was able to participate.

When the play finally drew to a close, Dumbledore waved his wand, and the costumes faded, leaving the students as they had been before. "Delightful," he said, clapping his hands, then waving to the food, as if to tell them to continue.

The students ate until they were filled, conversing merrily about what had just occurred. The marauders and Ginny exchanged gleeful looks that they hadn't been caught, congratulating each other on a prank well done.

As they were exiting the hall, however, Dumbledore stood from his chair and made his way across the room to them. His blue eyes sparkled as he stood before them, and he offered each student a kind, but stern smile.

"I must say, that was quite unlike anything I have seen in my time at Hogwarts," he said, popping a candy into his mouth. "A delightful way of bringing together each student and house, regardless of background. However, such a thing cannot become a daily occurrence," he looked down at them sternly over his half moon glasses, "this is a school, after all."

They chuckled nervously, and Ginny crossed her fingers behind her back that this stern lecture would not turn into detention. It was to no avail, though, as the headmaster turned to look at her, an unreadable expression upon his creased face.

"Miss Evans, I would like to speak to you, in private."

The boys around her hushed, turning to look at her in regret and sympathy. She offered them a shaky smile, but followed the headmaster down the hall, wondering why it was that she was being punished and the rest were not. Perhaps more was different in this time than she had realized; perhaps Dumbledore was a very different man. After all, he had allowed Donovan to stay, and now he was being unfair and unjust. Very odd actions, indeed, coming from the man whom she respected so.


	16. Headmasters and House Elves

**A/N:** Sorry to put this first, I absolutely hate when people do that, but I needed to include a quick disclaimer, as I changed the title of my story from _Denying Destiny_ to _Closing Walls and Ticking Clocks_, which are lyrics from the song _Clocks_ by Coldplay. I did not write them, and they belong purely to Coldplay.

Also, **Dora Penmoko **ever so kindly pointed out a few errors in this chapter, so as of 7/17/10 it has been edited. No big changes, nothing that changes anything in the following chapters, just a few small edits.

Thanks, pretty please take the time to review, and enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

Headmasters and House Elves

Dumbledore looked at Ginny intently from behind his desk, twiddling his thumbs absentmindedly. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, wishing he would begin already. He did no such thing, though, instead reaching a slender hand forward to grasp the delicate glass candy dish before him. He extended it to her, inviting her to take one, but Ginny shook her head to the lemon drops. He shrugged, and popped one into his mouth, nursing on it with a look of pure content. It was a wonder with the quantity of sweets the man ate that he was not drastically overweight.

"Professor?" Ginny probed, hoping that the man would get out with it already.

"Yes, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny felt a slight shock go through her as she heard her real surname. It had been ages since she'd been addressed as a Weasley, and it felt so good. Pride welled up within her; never had she been so glad to be a member of the poor, red haired clan that was her family.

"I was wondering if perhaps we could proceed with the meeting."

Dumbledore chuckled, and leaned forward to peer at her with interest. "I've never encountered an eleven year old who is so self confident before," he mused. "But, then again, I've never encountered an eleven year old who is really much older, let a lone a time traveler."

Ginny laughed at his words, admiring the ease at which he brought up the topic, but wishing that he'd skip the small talk and move on to her punishment.

"Yes, I suppose I am rather unique. Professor, may we discuss the reason why you've brought me here?"

"Ah, yes, of course. I simply invited you, and Hermione Granger who has yet to arrive, here to inquire as to how you are fairing."

Ginny blinked. "Wait, so I'm not in trouble?"

"Of course not," said Dumbledore, his brow furrowing. "Unless you have reason to be?"

"I- no, of course not," she said, looking down at her hands.

She was saved from further inquiry as a knock on the door sounded, announcing Hermione's arrival. Hermione quietly made her way over to the seat beside Ginny, looking around after doing so. Not much had changed in the time it had been since they had visited the headmaster eleven years ago; the same portraits lined the walls, and the same curious instruments were spread haphazardly through out the large room.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore greeted her with a warm smile. "How very pleasant to see you. I was just explaining to Miss Weasley, here, the reason why I invited you here today. You see, I had hoped for a chat with you two, and perhaps a cup of tea or slice of dessert, but only if you desire to be here?"

The girls nodded, "Of course."

"Excellent," he said, blue eyes twinkling. "Now, what type of tea?"

After the tea had arrived, and the small talk had passed, much to Hermione's relief, Dumbledore set aside his teacup and leaned forward in his chair.

"I must say I am rather curious as to how your childhood was. I trust I made a good decision in the homes I assigned you?"

Ginny nodded. "Oh yes, the Evans are lovely people, and Lily is wonderful."

Dumbledore looked pleased, "Excellent. And you, Miss Granger?"

Hermione sighed, not sure whether she should mention the troubles at home or the recent troubles with Severus.

"I take that as a sign that there are things left to be desired?" he asked, raising a thick silver eyebrow.

"You could say that," Hermione responded, trying to keep her tone even and void of emotion.

"Is there something I can do to change this?"

"Thank you, sir, but I couldn't leave Severus alone."

"Are you sure?"

Hermione nodded.

"Very well, as you wish, you may remain with the Snapes. However, I must insist that if you have any change of heart you notify me immediately." He fixed her with a stern look, his blue eyes boring into her, and she nodded.

Ginny, sensing her companion's discomfort, cleared her throat.

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"I, well, I was wondering about Professor Donovan."

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not seem to have any other reaction. "What about him?"

"Well, I was wondering why you allowed him to continue teaching after what happened," she said slowly, immediately regretting what she said after it came out. "Oh, I didn't mean that!" she exclaimed. "Really, sir, I value your opinion and I'm not saying you're wrong but, well, I'm just a little concerned, I suppose."

"I assure you, Miss Weasley, that Professor Donovan is trustworthy. I would not have hired him if he were not."

"But sir, what about when he got them stranded?" Hermione asked curiously.

"That, my dear, was a part of the curriculum."

"_A part of the curriculum_?" Ginny exclaimed. "He nearly got us killed!"

"I am sure that was not his intent," Dumbledore said, fixing them with a look that clearly said the conversation was over. "If you have any more questions, I am sure he would be happy to answer them for you."

The girls looked disappointed, but nodded.

"Very well, now off to the Gryffindor tower. I wouldn't want to keep your friends waiting any longer."

Taking his words as a dismissal, Ginny and Hermione thanked him for his time, and exited the office. As soon as they had rounded the corner, leaving the eagle statue behind, Ginny grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her into a classroom.

"You okay?"

"Yes I'm fine, despite being dragged into a classroom."

Ginny frowned. "I meant about Snape."

"My cheek is fine," Hermione growled, making it clear to Ginny that this was not a topic she wished to pursue.

The girl did not mind her warning, though, and continued to question her. "What about emotionally?"

"I'm fine, Ginny."

The redhead raised an eyebrow.

"Really, I'm fine. It was nothing—"

"Nothing? He hurt you, Hermione, that's not _nothing_."

"It's nothing compared to what he did as an adult. This, this I can heal from. But all the emotional stuff then, all the snide comments, and remarks, especially to Neville, people won't heal from that. The only way that I can protect people in the future from getting hurt is to endure the hurt now. I have to change him, Ginny. I have to make him a better person, and the only way I can do that is by trying to be his friend, no matter how many times he rejects me."

Ginny sighed. "So you've decided to change things then? Are we really going to do this? Change the future?"

Hermione nodded grimly. "It's too late not too. I was wrong earlier – research isn't going to help. I think our decision has already been made for us. Just by arriving here, by being here, we've changed things. The future is different now, and we might as well try to make it better."

Ginny's eyes filled with determination, and she jutted her chin out strongly. "Okay. Let's do this. Where do we start?"

"The diadem," Hermione said thoughtfully. "The diadem you put on Severus."

"What about it?"

"We need it. We need to destroy it."

Ginny looked at her quizzically. "Look, I know his hair is rather and greasy and all, but really Hermione, I'm sure there are more important things to be doing right now."

Hermione rolled her eyes. This could take a while.

"Bloody hell, Ginny, you're alive," James exclaimed, striding across the common room to clap her on the back.

"And that's surprising why?"

"Well we figured after Dumbledore took you away that you were done for," Sirius said, in a tone that was far too cheerful for discussing Ginny's potential death. It appeared as though their earlier quarrel had been forgotten during the madness of their prank.

"Yeah, we thought Azkaban for sure for a hard criminal like you," Remus joked.

Ginny pulled a face at them. "Oh yes, because I _totally_ belong behind bars. A notorious criminal like me."

James snorted. "You a notorious criminal? Can't picture it. Sirius on the other hand…." He elbowed his friend playfully, earning a sharp whack on his head in return.

Ginny was glad for the distraction; James' comment had hit a little too close to home. One day, Sirius really would be convicted as a murderer. And he would be convicted wrongly at that. Ginny sighed, but was reminded of the agreement that her and Hermione had made a few hours ago. She wouldn't have to watch as Sirius was arrested, she would prevent it. With a grin, she patted his arm, and climbed the stairs to her dormitory, calling back to wish them all a good night.

"Morning," Lily called from the bathroom.

Hermione yawned in response, throwing her covers aside. "Mm what time is it?"

"Little after ten. We should probably get to breakfast before the guys eat it all."

Hermione giggled. "As if they'd get up this early."

"True. You ready?"

Hermione quickly laced her shoe and followed the redhead out the door.

"Yum, bacon," Lily muttered, piling the delicious meat onto her plate. "Nothing like it in the morning."

Annabelle, who was already seated there, pulled a face. "Gross."

Lily looked at her in horror. "Gross? Are you kidding? You think this little scrap of deliciousness is _gross_?"

Annabelle rolled her eyes. "No, you dolt. I meant that Snivellus kid, you know, the one they dressed up as a fairy last night. His hair is _dreadful_."

"Excuse me?" Lily asked, her voice dangerously low.

Annabelle stared at her, confused. "What?" she asked, her eyes growing wide.

"That Snivellus kid is my brother," Hermione stated, sending the girl a cold glare.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Annabelle said, plunging the three of them into an awkward silence. Eventually the blonde got up and left, leaving Hermione and Lily to exchange a look of irritation.

"I can't believe that," Lily said, stabbing an egg rather fiercely. "Poor Sev."

Hermione shook her head. "I tried to warn him."

"Is that when he hit you?" Lily whispered, her green eyes wide and filled with concern.

Hermione gave a small nod.

"You poor thing!" Lily gushed, hugging her friend tightly. "Here, have some bacon, you'll feel better."

Hermione laughed but agreed, taking another strip to munch on.

"I can't believe he would do that," Lily said, eyeing the boy from across the room.

"Who would do what?" Peter asked, plopping down on the bench beside Lily.

"Dumbledore last night," Hermione quickly inserted, sending a glance to Lily to be sure the girl went along with the cover-up.

"I never would have thought he'd actually help you."

Peter grinned. "I know, right? And those spells, he's so powerful," Peter said in admiration, and what Hermione thought to be envy.

"It was cruel, though," Hermione murmured.

Lily raised an eyebrow at this, but did not comment. Unlike Ginny, she was much more understanding when it came to forgiving.

The following week dragged by slowly, with Hermione and Ginny searching daily for the diadem. They had not seen it since it had been vanished from Severus' head after the prank, and they weren't sure where to look. It hadn't helped that Dumbledore had performed the spell without speaking, leaving them no clue as to where the vanished material had gone.

"What're you reading?"

Ginny looked up to see Sirius standing over her, glancing curiously at the book before her. She quickly closed it. "Oh, nothing, just something for the essay on levitating spells."

"Didn't you finish that a few days ago?"

"Well yeah, but Hermione showed me this great book and I—"

"Turned into a nerd?"

"Did not," Ginny exclaimed, glaring at the boy.

"Uh huh, I'm sure," he said, gray eyes twinkling with mischief. "You haven't left this place all week." He gestured to the rows of shelves behind them, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "Which is why I so gallantly came to rescue you from the evil Madam Pince."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "That would explain what you're doing here, though honestly I'm surprised you even managed to fit through those doors with a head as big as yours."

Sirius grinned, puffing out his chest, "Well, you know what they say, the bigger the head, the smarter you are."

Ginny shook her head, giving up on arguing with the boy. When he got into moods like this he could go on for hours.

"So what did you really want?" she asked, looking at him with interest. It must have been pretty important, seeing as he had braved the library. Madam Pince had taken an early hatred to him and James after they had accidentally triggered a stink bomb, and after that they had been terrified to go near the cranky librarian. Instead, they had relied on their friends to check out books for them, much to the annoyance of Hermione, who had lectured them on the importance of maintaining good relationships with people in positions of power. James had then replied, quite cheekily, that librarians had no power, which spurred Hermione on to a long lecture on the value of education and knowledge.

Ginny shivered, remembering the speech, and saw Sirius do the same. Apparently he had been thinking of the same instance.

"I actually wanted to find you to ask you if you knew where the kitchens were. Me and James were out playing quidditch and we missed dinner," he said, his words enforced by a fierce growl from his stomach.

"Figures," Ginny said, packing her bag and preparing to leave.

"So you know where it is?"

Ginny nodded.

"You're bloody brilliant, you know that?" Sirius exclaimed, slinging his arm around her and steering her out of the library. "Now, lead me to the kitchens!"

After tickling the pear and pulling the door open, Ginny was bombarded with house elves.

"Master, Mistress, welcome!" greeted a small figure, her blue eyes bulging and shining with happiness at the sight of them.

"Hi there," Ginny said. "I'm Ginny and this is Sirius. We'd like some dinner, please."

The elf bowed deeply, "Yes, yes! We make chicken, potatoes, anything, anything you want, Mistress Ginny!"

Ginny smiled kindly at the elf, "Please, just call me Ginny."

"You is too kind," the elf said, her tennis ball sized eyes welling up with tears.

"Stop crying," Sirius said, knowing from personal experience that a bawling house elf was not a fun experience. "I'd like a sandwich," he said, going on to list off various toppings.

Once they both had ordered, the house elf, who introduced herself as Blinky, led them to a large table.

"Delightful creatures," Sirius mumbled sarcastically after Blinky had run off to assist in preparing food.

Ginny laughed softly. "Don't let Hermione hear you say that."

Sirius looked at her with interest. "You two are really close."

She bobbed her head, "Yeah."

"It sounds crazy, but sometimes it seems like you and her are sisters, not you and Lily."

Ginny laughed nervously. "Well, we grew up in the same neighborhood, so I guess you could say that we actually have known each other for ages. And you know how siblings are, a little distance is good."

His eyes clouded over. "Yeah, I know what you mean." He fell silent, and Ginny knew he was thinking of Regulus. She bit her lip, wondering what the full story was behind them, but not wanting to ask. She had heard of Regulus from an older, more somber Sirius, and none of what she had heard had been good. To bring it up now would be inappropriate and the kitchens weren't a great place to have an emotional conversation.

Blinky returned, placing full plates of food before them with a bow. Sirius made a noise of pure joy and dug into his sandwich with a vengeance. Once he had satisfied his initial hunger, he looked up at her, his eyes unfocused, as he was deep in thought.

"You're lucky," he said quietly.

"Why?" she asked softly, wondering what had spurred this from the normally loud, confident boy.

"You have a family that loves you," he said in a small voice, and Ginny was instantly reminded of how vulnerable Harry had been when she'd first met him. Here Sirius was, the same age as Harry had been on Platform 9 ¾, with a vulnerability to match. It was a curveball, something she had never expected from him.

She looked at him thoughtfully, pondering the side of him that he was showing to her. Who else had seen this side? James, perhaps? No, not James. The boy would tease him, that she was sure of. Maybe in the future they would have such a discussion, but not in their youth. The fact that Sirius was telling her now was touching. He was willing to tell her his secrets; he trusted her completely. But with a sharp stab, Ginny realized that she could never confide in him, she could never trust him completely. And that pained her more than she ever thought it would.

Ginny reached out a small freckled hand to touch his gently, causing him to look up at her.

"You do too," she said. "James, Remus, Peter, Lily, Hermione, and I _are_ your family. Never forget that."

The boy shifted under her intense gaze. "Yeah. I know."

After Sirius had eaten his fill, he collected a sandwich for James and the pair left the kitchens, waving goodbye to the house elves, who begged them to come again soon. Sirius had grinned at this, promising that he would be back, which Ginny didn't doubt.

"I'm stuffed," Sirius complained, waddling down the corridor, patting his stomach.

"Maybe you shouldn't have eaten so much, you dolt."

Sirius shrugged. "It was worth it. Man house elves are bloody amazing at –"

Ginny clamped her hand over his mouth, stopping him from continuing. He tried to protest, but she nodded to her left and he grew quiet.

Donovan was standing, admiring a portrait of an old woman holding a cat, his back towards them.

"Follow me," Sirius whispered, sneaking behind a large column that marked an entranceway. Ginny squeezed into the column on the opposite side of the door, praying that they wouldn't be caught.

Donovan turned slowly, stepping away from the portrait, and made his way down the hall. His hands were in his pockets, and he whistled lightly as he walked towards the portrait that was the entrance to the kitchens. Like Ginny had done merely an hour before, he reached out to tickle the pear to gain entrance.

Once the portrait had clicked shut, Sirius came out from behind the column, grinning widely.

"Come on, let's follow him," he whispered.

Ginny sighed, knowing it was not a smart idea, but was drawn to the portrait by her curiosity. The two students stood, their ears pressed against the painting, listening intently as Donovan conversed with the house elves inside.

"Hello, Blinky," his voice rumbled, though without the usual coldness it held. "A treacle tart, please."

Ginny felt a sharp stab as she was reminded of Harry. Treacle tarts had always been his favorite, and they had often come to the kitchens to enjoy dessert together in the brief time that they had dated in her fifth year.

"A treacle tart," a squeaky voice exclaimed. "Yes, yes! Only the best for Master Daniel."

Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"He let's them call him by his first name?" he asked in wonderment.

Ginny shrugged. "Apparently."

"How are you, Blinky?"

They heard a muffled sob. "How am I? Master is so kind, so kind!"

"Well, answer my question," Donovan prodded.

They heard what sounded like more sobs, followed by the elf replying something about having had a son.

"A son? Brilliant," the professor had exclaimed, causing Sirius and Ginny to exchange a puzzled glance. They'd never heard him sound so… nice. "So, what will you name him?"

"Dobby," Blinky said, before once again praising Donovan's kindness.

Ginny's eyes grew wide. Dobby? As in the one that had helped Harry, the one that had sacrificed himself to rescue Harry from the Malfoy Manor?

Donovan's tone mirrored what Ginny felt, as he repeated the name. Ginny's eyes narrowed. Why had Donovan had such a strong reaction to the name? There was no reason why that she could think of, unless, perhaps, he too was from the future.


	17. How To Save A Life

Chapter Seventeen

How To Save A Life

"Hermione? Hermione wake up," Ginny whispered, shaking her friend out of her slumber.

"What is it Ginny? Is everything all right?"

"Yes, yes, everything's fine. Scoot over."

Hermione complied, and Ginny climbed onto the bed next to her, illuminating her wand as she did so.

"I'm guessing there's a reason for this?" Hermione asked, unable to keep her annoyance out of her voice.

"I think Professor Donovan is from the future."

"What?"

"I think he's from the future."

Hermione stared at Ginny, her mouth falling open and revealing her large teeth. "Have you gone bonkers?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and repeated to Hermione what she had heard earlier outside of the kitchen, not skimping on the details.

"You're sure he had definitely heard the name Dobby before?" Hermione questioned, her eyes narrowing as she concentrated on what she had just heard.

"I'm certain."

"We've got to find out who he is," Hermione muttered, pulling out a piece of parchment and beginning to form a list of names.

They spent the next hour arguing in whispers over the real identity of Donovan, adding, then scratching names away. They made slow progress, but eventually ruled it down to two people: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.

"I don't think it's Harry," Hermione said quietly, hoping that the redhead would understand the reasoning behind it. Although it had been years since his death, she had no desire to bring it up or even think about.

"He could have survived," Ginny said hopefully. "We could've been wrong, and he could have been alive."

Hermione nodded. They sat quietly after that, staring at the names before them, hoping desperately that it was their friend, and not their foe.

"Hurry up, Potter," Lily chided, striding quickly through the corridors to their next class.

"Honestly, my grandmother can move faster than you," Hermione added, shooting a scornful look back at the boy.

"But I'm waiting for Remus," he protested. "Don't you want to wait for your _boyfriend_?" he added, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Hermione.

"Shut it," Hermione snapped. Her and Remus had been spending a lot of time together in the past few days, and although their relationship was purely platonic, James had taken to teasing them about it constantly.

"Oh no," James gasped. "Trouble in paradise?"

Both girls turned, shooting icy glares in his direction, but refrained from responding as they had arrived in front of their next class, potions.

"Ah, welcome, welcome," greeted Slughorn, beaming at the two girls. "Just in time, I was worried you might be late."

They each sent him a polite smile, taking seats in the back of the room. James, who had somehow managed to find Remus, entered the room as well, choosing the table beside them. Lily made a noise of disgust, and turned towards the front, ignoring James' sly attempt to wink at her.

"Now that we're all here, let us began," Slughorn said, continuing to explain the day's lesson. They would be trying something new, he had said, by working with different partners. This had earned a groan from the class, but he had simply smiled at them, waved his wand, and told them to get to work. On the board various names appeared, linked to a random other person.

Hermione sighed as she realized she had been paired with Severus, and watched him out of the corner of her eye as he read the board. Instead of the expression of hate she had expected to see, a look of relief flickered over his face before he quickly masked his emotions. She smiled softly at this, and made her way to where he was seated.

"Hey," she said, looking him straight in the eyes. No was not the time to be shy; she had to show him, prove to him that she wasn't afraid.

He nodded to her in response, his dark eyes taking in her actions carefully, and lingering on her cheek.

"If you're done staring," Hermione said, a hint of ice in her voice, "then let's begin."

They began to work on the potion, speaking only when necessary and avoiding any eye contact. Hermione sighed, knowing that Severus was too proud to apologize and that she herself would have to make the first move. After stirring the potion clockwise three times, she stepped back to stare at him.

"I forgive you," she said quietly, her voice fierce and intense to show him that she would not give up any ground.

"What?" he asked, staring at her as though she were a hippo perched in a tree.

"I forgive you," Hermione repeated.

"For what? I never asked you to forgive me," he snarled, turning back to the potion to add another ingredient.

"But you want me to," Hermione ventured, causing him to turn to glare at her once more.

"How do you know what I want? Have you ever though that perhaps I want you to leave me alone?"

"I have considered it, but after that prank I figured you need all the friends you can get."

He clutched the table tightly, his knuckles pale from the effort. "Don't ever mention that prank again," he whispered fiercely.

"I tried to warn you about it," she said, ignoring his warning. "But no, you just had to be your proud little Slytherin self."

"Better a Slytherin than a Gryffindor," he spat.

"Do you really want to talk to someone that can help you like that?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.

Severus, seeing that a number of classmates had noticed their argument, scowled and muttered so softly that only she could hear, "We'll speak later."

"Nice, Peter," Remus praised, sending the boy a bright smile.

Peter blushed, "Thanks. You're brilliant at this, I wish I were as good as you."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Oh quit your whining, you're better than half the class."

It was true – the majority of the students sat with frustrated looks on their face as they tried to transfigure water into lemonade.

"Yeah, but you guys all got it way before me," Peter complained, staring at their goblets of lemonade in jealousy.

"Hey, we got lucky," James said, waving it off in favor of discussing their next prank. "We definitely need a good follow up. Any ideas?"

Remus shook his head. "We do _not_ need a follow up."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Teacher's pet," he taunted.

"Yeah, we may as well buy you a leash and adopt you out to McGonagall."

"Might I ask who you have volunteered me to adopt?" the professor asked, stopping in front of their desk and fixing James with a stern look.

"Err, no one," he responded sheepishly.

"As I thought," the woman responded, bending to examine their work. "Excellent work, boys. Five points each."

After she had moved on to another group of students, Remus glared at his friends. "That's exactly why we shouldn't do another prank. "

"Why? You don't want more house points?" Sirius asked dumbly, earning a practiced smack in the head from Remus.

"No, stupid, I meant that she's watching us."

"Oo creepy," Peter said. "Like a stalker?"

James rolled his eyes. "Look, I think what Remus is saying is that we're going to have to be sneaky about this."

"No, what I'm saying is that—"

"—Shush, Remus, I think James is on to something," Black interrupted.

"Yeah, Remus, listen to Sirius! Everyone knows _I'm_ the brains of this little group. Which reminds me… we need a name."

Remus sighed in exasperation, looking up as if to ask what he had done to deserve this.

"I have an idea," Peter said brightly. "The Hooligans!"

"The Hooligans? Nawh."

They continued to suggest various names, all of which were shot down after only a few seconds. Ginny, who had been watching the whole display, tried to muffle her laughter, causing her table partner to send her an odd glance. She ignored Helen, the girl she was sitting next to, and instead stood to talk to the boys.

"So you're looking for a group name without me, eh?"

"Who said you were part of our group?" Remus teased.

"Hmm, well I sort of assumed I was, seeing as I was the one who did all the magic behind that last little prank of yours."

Sirius sent her a pointed look, reminding her of the argument they had concerning that very topic. It appeared as though he had not yet forgotten, as she had hoped he would. She ignored the look that he sent her, and instead looked at the other boys expectantly.

"So?"

"I guess," James said, stepping up as leader of the group.

"But she's a girl," Peter protested.

"Look, mate, you're the one who fancies her, you should be happy about this," the boy said, messing up his hair with his hand, and apparently forgetting that Ginny was right there beside him.

Peter flushed a deep red, purposely avoiding Ginny's gaze, and not arguing any further.

"Well then," Sirius said, breaking the awkward silence that had followed James' revelation. "I suppose that settles it." He clapped her on her shoulder encouragingly, sending her a toothy grin. "Welcome to The Marauders."

"The Marauders?" Remus asked, looking thoughtful. "I like it."

"Me too," James said, and Peter nodded as well. "What do you think Ginny?"

"I think it's brilliant," she said, beaming at Sirius.

"Right then, looks like we are The Marauders," James said. "A name that will be remembered forever at Hogwarts. The teachers will fear us, the guys will envy us, and the girls will love us. Well, except for Ginny. That'd be a little weird."

He had no idea how right he was.

For the next few days Hermione and Ginny carefully observed Donovan while he taught, looking for habits or tendencies that pointed to either Harry or Draco. Neither of them had caught anything that was particularly identifying; Donovan had remained his cool and collected self, not revealing anything too personal, and talking only to teach and reprimand students. His teaching style made them believe he was Harry – he made an emphasis on the usefulness of the material just like Harry had when teaching the D.A.

His scolding of the students, however, was more akin to Malfoy. He was cruel and harsh, not bothering to pull students aside to criticize them, instead embarrassing in front of the class. It was something that they were both certain Harry would never do, unless he was acting, and even then it was a long shot.

The only way they could think of to find out his identity was by flat out asking him, a dangerous action. If it was Malfoy he wouldn't hesitate to tell others immediately, blowing their cover and exposing them as who they really were. If the public were to find out… Hermione shuddered. No, they couldn't find out. They had to find a better way to do things.

"Do you think we could use a memory charm?" Ginny asked from beside her, her finger tapping the book before her. "This one's supposed to be pretty powerful."

"We might be able to," Hermione said, looking over her friend's shoulder at the text. "If it's powerful it might be too much for us, though."

"Damn being young again," Ginny muttered and Hermione couldn't help but agree. While she had often wished to return to her first year once more when she was older, now she was realizing it wasn't all that it was made out to be. Sure, there was less work, but there was also less magic to work with. Not to mention that her classmates were sometimes unbearably immature.

"So what else can we do?" Ginny asked.

"Veritaserum maybe?"

"Where would we get it?"

"We'd have to make it," Hermione said, standing up suddenly. "I'll be right back."

Ginny sighed, and looked around the library. It was mostly empty except for a few students scattered around the room, studiously reading or writing. In the corner, a few rows down, sat Severus, his long hair shielding his face as he scribbled furiously in a journal.

"What?" he sneered, noticing that he had caught her attention.

"Nothing," she said, looking away.

Severus raised an eyebrow but returned to his work. Her eyes continued to watch him, though, and impulsively she stood and strode to his table, leaning against it and staring evenly at him.

"You git," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I can't believe you would do that to Hermione. She tried to warn you and you, you hit her? Are you bloody mad?"

"That's between me and her. Sod off, Evans."

"Oh like I'll bloody believe that? You hurt her, you filthy—"

"Ginny, stop," Hermione said, stepping in between her and Severus. "Severus and I have reached an agreement."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "And what's that? You can't let him push you around like this you have to stand up for yourself."

"Ginny, a moment?"

Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed the girl and turned down an aisle, stopping only when they were out of the Slytherin's hearing range.

"This isn't your problem," she said fiercely. "I can take care of myself, and I know what I'm doing."

"What exactly are you doing then?" Ginny challenged, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"I'm trying to save him."

"From what?"

"Himself."

* * *

**A/N:** So the name of this chapter is from _How To Save A Life_ by The Fray. I definitely did not write it... believe me you don't want to see my sad attempts at song writing. I fail. Miserably. But that's enough for now, I'm starting to babble on and on about nothing... So, sorry that this chapter was a little short, and thank you for reading. Please review!

Mischief Maintained


	18. Mysterious Ways

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me!

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Mysterious Ways

Severus sat at his table, tapping his long, pale fingers impatiently. He didn't like the fact that Hermione, his own sister, had left him alone in order to speak to her friend, who he happened to hate. He had wondered briefly what they'd been talking about, but shrugged it off, as there was no way of knowing. He may have been curious, but he was not a fool. Spying on them would only get him caught and result in a fight. Besides, what time of scum resorted to spying? Such a low, deceitful job that lacked the bravery and intelligence that full on confrontation called for. He sneered, thinking of the type of person who would stoop to that level.

The boy looked down at his pocket watch and was surprised by how late it was. He'd best return to the common room to meet the others before they became suspicious; Slytherins were not the most trusting creatures, and any time spent away and alone could be translated into betrayal.

He looked in the direction the girls had vanished to, but there was no sight of them. Shaking his head at their disregard for manners, he quickly scrawled a note to his sister, before packing up his bag and leaving.

Hermione sighed as she saw the vacated table that had previously housed Severus. _Trust a Weasley to screw things up_, she thought, remembering back to all the times where Ron had ruined opportunities for them. While the Weasley family was practically her own family, there were times when she resented the tenacity and desire for information that they held.

Upon closer examination she found a piece of parchment with Severus' small, tidy writing scrawled across it

_Meet me on the dock tonight at half past eleven. Don't be late._

She rolled her eyes at the last sentence, knowing that he knew she was rarely tardy. Clearly it had been meant to annoy her, as many sibling exchanges are. The fact that he had resorted to such a petty thing was almost comforting, though. It meant he still thought of her as his sister.

* * *

"Professor Slughorn?"

"Yes, Miss Evans?"

"I was reading in the library the other day and I came across a book about potions," Ginny said. "It stated that one of the most challenging potions to make was Veritaserum. Do we make that while we're here?" she asked, feigning nervousness about brewing it.

"Oh, yes, quite difficult indeed. But I'm sure given a few more years of practice under my tutelage and you'll be able to brew it with no trouble."

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked in a timid voice.

"Of course, my dear. Just ask one of the sixth years, they brewed it just last week. You could ask Ruby Aaron, she did quite well. I really should invite her to the next party," he mused.

"Party?"

"Ah, yes, of course, you haven't heard yet. You see I like to have little get togethers with a few of my favorite students. You're welcome to come to the next one, and bring your sister and Ms. Snape too."

Ginny nodded, unable to think of a way to escape the invitation. "When is it?"

"Friday night, right after dinner," he said, with a beam.

The girl thanked him and departed before she committed fully to the party, knowing too well that the Slug Club meetings were not something she wished to be involved in.

* * *

"Hey," Hermione said, dropping down into a comfy armchair by the fire.

Remus nodded in response, setting the essay he had been working on aside.

"How'd potions go?"

"Fine."

The boy sighed. "I saw the two of you arguing. Are you sure everything's fine?"

"Yes, everything is perfectly fine," Hermione exclaimed. "People need to stop asking me that every time I see him! He's my brother, not Voldemort."

Remus flinched as she named the dark lord, as did a few others around him.

"Look, he may not be You-Know-Who, but he's still not good for you."

"I think I know what's good for me, thanks," she replied icily, before storming off to her dormitory and leaving him to face the stares of the surrounding students.

James, who had come in on the last part of the conversation, stepped up to him, clapping him on the back. "It's alright, probably just that time of the month."

Remus' eyes widened in shock. How did James know his secret?

"How do you know?" he gasped.

"I don't mate, just guessing. My dad always says that about my mum when they get in arguments. I've no clue what it means, but it seemed fitting."

"Oh yeah," Remus said, his heart filling with hope. _Was James' mother a werewolf too?_

* * *

"Hermione," Ginny said in a sing-song voice, smiling smugly.

"Yes?"

"We don't have to make Veritaserum."

"Why not? Don't we need it for Donovan?"

"We need it, but we don't need to _make_ it."

"Would you stop being so cryptic and just tell me?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at her friend's irritability, but answered her nonetheless. "We're going to steal it from Slughorn."

Hermione stared at her in shock for a few seconds before firmly shaking her head. "You're just like your brother."

The redhead grinned. "I know. And since you went along with all of his and Harry's plans, you should be more than willing to go along with mine."

"Fine," she said, not in the mood to argue after her encounter with Remus. "But you'd better have this well thought out."

Ginny smirked. "Oh, I do."

"You're sure Slughorn's at his party?" Hermione whispered, eyeing the dark office cautiously.

"Do you really think he'd miss out on the opportunity to recruit more future celebrities?"

Hermione laughed. The girl had a good point.

They slowly crept forward along the cool stones that lined the dungeon walls, pausing every few steps to listen. After pausing four times, they arrived at the simple wooden door, and Ginny slowly placed her hand down on the cool metal knob. She tried to turn it, but it was locked.

"_Alohomora_," Hermione whispered from beside her, causing the door to swing open easily.

"Thanks."

They stepped over the threshold of the office carefully, expecting to have triggered some sort of defensive spells, but were surprised when nothing happened.

"Yet another reason to be glad Snape isn't teaching potions now," Ginny said wryly, earning a chuckle from Hermione.

"Too true. Come on, let's find the potion and get out of here."

They set to work searching the room by wand light, sorting through endless vials of various potions.

"Come here," Hermione whispered, pointing at a cupboard filled with small flasks. "I think these are them."

"We're looking for Ruby Aaron's."

They carefully sorted through the various glass containers, marveling over the variety in color of the potion. It appeared as though many of the students had struggled with the assignment, resulting in an array of colors.

"I've got it," Hermione said, holding up a vial of clear liquid that looked to be water. "Ruby Aaron," she read, tapping the labeled glass.

"Great. Let's get out of here before we get caught."

Hermione nodded , tucked the flask into her pocket, and began to turn, but before she had fully completed the rotation, thick ropes bound her arms and legs, causing her to fall flat to the floor. Ginny, too, was captured by the ropes.

"It appears as though it is a little too late for you not to get caught," a cool voice drawled, it's owner hidden in the shadows.

"Show yourself," Hermione commanded, trying to keep terror out of her voice.

Her words were followed with a hearty chuckle, and then the person complied. Professor Donovan stepped out into the light, his face caught up in a grin.

"I wondered how long it would be before the two of you got into trouble," he drawled cheerfully.

Ginny glared at him, struggling against her ropes.

"Now, now, Ms. Evans, that won't help," he commented, before waving his wand so that the ropes disappeared. The two girls rubbed their wrists, before dusting themselves off to stand.

Donovan reached forward to take their wands, turned to close the door, and then took a seat at Slughorn's desk. He waved to the two chairs across from him, and the girls complied, seeing no other choice.

"Well, now that we are all comfy, mind handing me that vial?"

Hermione and Ginny exchanged a glance, but were forced to comply.

"Ah, veritaserum. Interesting. Well, let's not waste it," he said, before firmly pulling the plug from the flask. "Take a sip, you two," he directed them, handing the potion over.

Ginny held it, hesitating, and looking to Hermione for help. Donovan raised his wand, and she was left with no choice but to consume the liquid. Hermione, too, took some, and they immediately felt the effects.

"Very good. Now let's test it, shall we?" Donovan said, smirking. "What's your name?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Ginny Weasley."

The man leaned forward, looking at them in confusion. "Interesting," he mused, not sure whether there was a fault in the potion or if their names were the truth.

"What were you doing in here?"

"Stealing veritaserum," Hermione responded immediately, her voice monotone and her eyes glazed over.

"For what purpose did you intend to use it for?"

"To interrogate you."

"Why?"

"We think you're from the future, sir," Ginny responded.

Donovan raised his eyebrows in surprise. Things just kept getting more and more bizarre.

"Who do you think I am?"

"Harry Potter," both girls blurted out, before gasping and covering their mouths.

Donovan absorbed the name, running it through his mind, checking endlessly to see if he could find any matches. The closest he came was his student James Potter, so it was likely that this Harry character was related to him.

As he was thinking, the potion began to wear off of the two girls, who slowly regained awareness and control over their words.

"I hate to disappoint you," Donovan drawled, "but I am not who you think I am."

Hermione and Ginny exchanged a glance. "How are we to know you're telling the truth?"

Donovan raised an eyebrow, taking on a look of slight amusement at the nerve of the two girls standing before him. "I swear to you I am not Harry Potter."

Ginny stared into his eyes for a moment, then spoke slowly, "He's telling the truth, Hermione. There's no way he could be Harry."

"You're right," the other girl agreed. If it had truly been him, his reaction would have been much different.

Donovan nodded, administering them both with stern looks before gesturing towards the door. "I think, perhaps, it would be best for us to continue this conversation elsewhere."

* * *

**A/N: **Oh my goodness I am so so so ridiculously sorry about the insane amount of time it took me to update. I'm afraid I must admit that I got rather caught up in my school work and didn't have time for this... :( However, since it's summer now and I have basically nothing else to do, I should be updating this story fairly regularly and getting it back on course. My apologies for this short chapter - I promise there's more to come, and soon! Thanks to all the reviewers and readers who have stuck with my through this.

Much Love,

Mischief Maintained

P.S. Please, please, please, please, please review! I'm begging you! I already have the next chapter written and it's ready to be uploaded as soon as I receive some nice, motivating reviews! Or reviews of any sort, for that matter!


	19. More Than A Feeling

**Disclaimer: **The wonderful world of Harry Potter and all the wonderful characters are J.K. Rowling's!

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

More Than A Feeling

Hermione shifted uneasily, gazing around her professor's sitting room with wary interest. Lined with dark mahogany built-in shelves filled with various novels and trinkets, the room was quite handsome, though a bit stiff for Hermione's taste. In the plump armchair adjacent to her own, Ginny sat surveying the room in a similar fashion. Her chocolate eyes landed on a collection of framed photographs nestled amongst the rest of the professor's possessions. Straining her eyes to try to see what each frame held, Ginny leaned forward in her chair, and sighed when she realized that she could make out little more than silhouettes moving about. Distracting her from her previous attempts at spying, Professor Donovan pushed open the heavy wooden door and strode into the room.

"Right then, let's begin, shall we?" he asked, after closing the door and silently charming a sound barrier behind him.

The girls nodded at him, each displaying their own symptoms of nerves; Hermione chewed the corner of her lip ever so slightly, while Ginny tapped her fingers restlessly on the arm of the chair.

"I want to know why you thought I was from the future," Donovan said directly, his eyes shifting over his students with an unreadable expression.

"Err, it's a long story, sir," Ginny mumbled in response.

The professor smirked, then gestured at the many books surrounding them. "As you can see, I quite enjoy stories."

The girls exchanged a glance, unsure of how to continue. It was clear that Donovan wanted answers, but they were unprepared to give them to him. Which meant only one thing – they would have to distract him.

"Actually, sir, we had a few questions of our own. We tried to talk to the headmaster but he said we should talk to you, rather."

"Oh, did he?" Donovan questioned, stroking the slight brown stubble that had accumulated on his strong chin.

Hermione nodded, "He did."

"Very well then, what is it that you desire to know? I wouldn't want to deprive my students of any important information, regardless of how personal it may be," he finished, his deep voice dripping with sarcasm.

Ginny opened her mouth, a retort ready, but was silenced by a glare from Hermione. The redhead sighed but gestured for her friend to speak instead.

"Thank you, sir. Our question, you see, is in regards to the exercise you orchestrated in class – the game, sir."

Donovan frowned, bringing his thick fingers into a steeple before him. "What about it, Miss Granger?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "Well, why was that lesson even necessary? We're first years for Merlin's sake, what in the world were you thinking?"

The professor's brows knitted together, his frown deepening exponentially. "That'll be fifteen points from Gryffindor for addressing me with such disrespect. And yes, it was necessary. Little risk was involved – "

"Little risk? Oh for the love of god, you've got to be joking. Four students were stranded and missed lessons for an entire day, with one of them suffering a nasty, potentially life threatening wound-"

"What? There was an injury?" Donovan interrupted, leaping up from his seat to pace about the room.

Ginny rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Yes, a bloody bad one at that. Sirius was bit down to the bone by a snake, thank Merlin it wasn't poisonous and that I managed to find them in time to heal it."

"Sirius was bit? Oh fuck, I had no clue…" Donovan trailed off, shaking his head and looking downright ashamed of himself. "What happened? Tell me everything, Miss Evans and don't leave anything out."

Ginny rolled her eyes but complied, telling the tale from the very beginning of their arrival.

* * *

Remus sat comfortably in his usual spot on the window seat, watching as James and Sirius engaged in yet another match of wizard's chess. Beside him, Peter sat scribbling out a letter to his mum at home. Remus sighed in boredom, wishing that he had indeed brought his book down to the common room with him. The board game continued to drag on, with both boys concentrating intently on the task at hand. Both Sirius and James were known to be quite competitive, and it was with great chagrin that James realized his king was cornered. Sirius, though, upon winning the game, pumped his fist high into the air grinning enthusiastically before taking a victory lap around the common room. This action gained the attention of the entire room who looked on in a mixture of interest and annoyance, before turning back to their work.

"Oh shut it, you tosser," James mumbled darkly, before standing and climbing the stairs heavily to their dormitory. Sirius rolled his eyes at his best mate's dramatic exit, and instead turned to face the other two boys.

"Fancy a trip to the kitchens?" he asked, grinning sloppily at the thought of food.

Peter nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, yeah, can we stop at the owlery too? I've got to send this off to Mum before she gets too worried…" he trailed off darkly, blushing at the memory of what had happened the last time he had hesitated to write his mother back.

Sirius snorted, "What, don't want another howler from mummy dearest?"

Remus cracked up at his words, remembering the look of utter embarrassment that Peter had worn upon the howler bursting open during breakfast a few weeks before. The short boy glared up at them, though this didn't last long, and soon he had joined them in laughter.

"Ah, good times," Remus mused, finally regaining control over his body and ceasing to laugh.

Sirius and Peter nodded animatedly, before jumping to their feet, ready for their venture to the kitchens. "Coming Remus?"

The lanky boy shook his head in response. "No, I don't think so. I think I might go try to cheer James, you know how he holds grudges."

Sirius groaned. "Ugh, true… I think I'll pick up some treacle tart for him while I'm down there, which should do it. Want anything?" His friend grinned, gave him his order, and then strode up the stairs to find James.

"James?" Remus called, knocking twice on the door before turning the cool handle to step inside the marauders' shared room.

"Hey," the raven-haired boy greeted, sitting up on his four-poster to smile at his friend.

"Rough game," Remus said, shaking his head. "You'll get him next time, I reckon."

James' expression turned to that of a glare at the mention of his loss, however his face perked up at the other boy's encouragement. "You really think so, Remus? I mean he hasn't lost a match yet, not even to Gerald, and he's bloody brilliant."

Remus nodded at this. It was true; Sirius was virtually undefeatable, even by the older students within the house. Despite this, he continued to encourage his friend, knowing that it was only necessary to improve his mood. "True, but someday he's bound to lose, and it'll probably be to you, after all you're the only bloke thick enough to keep challenging him."

James chuckled, taking the teasing as a compliment to his perseverance, and clapped his friend on the back. "You're a right good mate, you know that, Remus?"

Remus shrugged, "I try." For a brief moment, the stress of hiding his secret nearly took over, and he came close to telling the other boy his deepest, innermost thoughts. He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut once more, knowing that now was not the time.

* * *

"Earlier you stated that you yourself healed Sirius?" professor Donovan inquired, staring at the young girl in front of him intently.

Ginny nodded. "Yes, sir."

He lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "If that is true, then how did you do so? The snakebite was deep, was it not?"

Ginny fumbled with the hem of her skirt, nervously avoiding eye contact with her professor. He cleared his throat, spurring her on, and she had no choice but to answer. "Erm, yes, sir, it was a rather deep bite. I cured it with a spell I learned, I'm not sure how good of a job I did, though, as my magical reserve was rather low, but I tried my best."

"What spell?"

"_Episkey_, sir."

Donovan looked impressed, then smiled at her in a fashion that she had never before associated with her professor. He looked almost gentle, his lips pulled back over his white teeth in a friendly manner.

"Quite impressive, Evans. I must thank you for saving Sirius' life, I do not know what would have happened without your assistance," his voice trailed off, his eyes clouding over with guilt and, surprisingly, sorrow.

"Professor?" Hermione said gently, bringing him back from his daydream.

"Oh, my apologies," he said, turning his face back to it's usual mask of indifference.

"Not to pry, sir, but what was that all about?"

Donovan shook his head at the two girls, not wishing to disclose his secrets to them. "Nothing, I simply was concerned for the safety of my student." Pushing the sleeve of his robe up, he glanced at his watch, and quickly changed the subject. "Oh, my, would you look at the time. Past curfew already, I suppose I'd better return you to your tower."

The girls nodded, and stood to leave, stretching as they did so. They had been seated speaking to the man for the past few hours, and it was no surprise that this had caused their muscles to stiffen.

"Wait one moment, if you will," Donovan murmured, before disappearing through the door into his private quarters.

Ginny, ceasing the opportunity crossed the room to peer at the photographs that had caught her attention earlier. The majority of them were of a young man, whom she presumed to be a more youthful version of Donovan, laughing merrily with his friends. In another picture, the same young man was portrayed on broomstick, quaffle tucked under his arm, and flying steadily towards the three hoops at the end of the field. Ginny grinned at this; damn, he was good. Hoping to see more pictures of her professor in action, she moved her eyes to the next picture, then gasped in shock at what she saw. Donovan knelt down in the photograph, holding a miniature broomstick steady as a young boy climbed onto it. This was not shocking, though, but it was instead the young boy that caught her attention. He looked to be about four or five, with ear length black hair, and sparkling grey eyes. There was no denying that the young boy was indeed Sirius Black.

Before she could wave Hermione over to view the picture with her, Ginny heard the heavy footsteps of her professor returning, and quickly made her way back to where she had previously been standing.

"Right then, follow me," Donovan stated with a grim smile, not noticing the blush that had crept up onto Ginny's face, before waving his hand and making the sound barrier disappear. Hermione and Ginny linked arms then followed him back through the door to the classroom and into the darkened halls.

"What was that back there?" Hermione whispered into Ginny's ear, taking care to be sure their professor would not overhear them.

Ginny pursed her lips, shaking her head back and forth. "Not now, later," she promised, before speeding up so that they were a few paces behind Donovan.

"_Lumos_," Donovan murmured, lighting his wand as to cast light in the direction they went. The two girls followed his lead, withdrawing their own wands and doing the same thing as they made their way behind him. The professor turned and eyed their lit wands with curiosity.

"You seem to know quite a lot of magic for first years," he mused, his thick brows dropping in thought.

The girls exchanged a glance, then nodded, smiling hesitantly. "Yes, sir, thank you. We've been studying a lot, you see, trying to get caught up what with me being muggleborn and such," Ginny stated.

Donovan's eyes widened even further. "Extraordinary," he murmured, before grinning ruefully at the two girls. "It seems as though I miscalculated you two when I first met you, I must apologize for the way I treated you."

Hermione smiled kindly at him. "Oh, it's quite alright, Professor. We weren't exactly the nicest to you, either."

Donovan chuckled, nodding his head. "You two are quite the meddlesome little bastards, aren't you?"

Ginny laughed, somewhat shocked at his joke, "You could say that."

"I'll be sure to watch out for the two of you, then, after all, with such great magical prowess as you have now I'm sure I can expect great things, or shall I say trouble, to come."

"What, us?" Hermione responded, grinning up at the man in delight. Never before had she seen this side of him, and she was pleased to discover that he was actually quite kind. Dumbledore's trust for him was beginning to make sense, although she still held some doubts as to whether he was being completely honest with them in the duration of their earlier discussion.

"Yes, the both of you, and Sirius and his bloody friends as well, I reckon," Donovan said, frowning at them, though not looking seriously concerned in the least.

Ginny's eyes narrowed at the direct mention of Sirius; what relationship did the two of them have? Why had Sirius not mentioned his connection with Donovan before? Before she could think of any way to inconspicuously question her professor they had arrived in front of the fat lady, who snored rather loudly in her chair, scowling at them upon being woken by the professor.

"Right then, go on through so I can be sure no more trouble is made tonight," Donovan said with a shadow of a grin, before waving them in front of him to the portrait.

"Goodnight, Professor, see you in class tomorrow," the girls called, before stating the password and clambering through to the common room.

"Where were you two?" Sirius asked, spotting them as they entered the room. Ginny grinned, taking in his now puzzled face and comparing it to the much younger boy in the photograph. Yes, it had definitely been him in the picture.

Hermione shrugged in response, "Exploring the castle."

Lily's eyes widened, especially shocked that her bookish friend could be such a miscreant. "After curfew?"

"And you didn't bring us?" James exclaimed in mock horror.

Ginny and Hermione chuckled heartily, before throwing themselves down on the sofa beside Lily and Alice. Lily shot James a glare in response to his remark, making it clear to him what she though of rule breakers. She then turned to scold her sister and best friend, reprimanding them for their behavior.

Alice rolled her eyes at the scene before her, knowing that Lily would continue on for god knows how long if she wasn't stopped. Clearing her throat gently to get the three other girls' attention as well as the boys', Alice leaned forward in her seat. "I've got an idea," she said with a hint of mischief.

"And what is that?" Remus questioned, dropping his book to listen to her suggestion.

"I think it's time for a round of truth or dare!" she exclaimed, causing the other girls to squeal in remembrance of the fun times they had enjoyed on their first night in the castle.

"Brilliant," James declared, jumping to his feet and coming to high-five the petite brunette. "Right then, shall we begin?"

A loud cheer of agreement rose from the group, rousing the attention of the few students still in the room. Seated at a table, Katie lifted her head from writing a paper, and looked up to see her circle of friends clearly ready to have a good time. "Hold up," she called, packing up her parchment and ink. "I'm in too!"

"Great," Sirius called across the room. "Gather round, then," he said, patting the spot beside him. Ginny eyed this gesture with slight annoyance, wishing that it could have been her who had received such an invitation. With a start she realized she had been experiencing jealousy, and quickly shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts. After all, this was Sirius, Harry's godfather. Anything between them would be just plain wrong, not to mention a total and complete lie on her part.

"Lily, darling," James called, breaking Ginny from her thoughts, and causing the object of his affection to glare at him. "Will it be truth, or will it be dare?"

The pretty little redhead rolled her eyes, but complied, answering with truth. James' hazel eyes lit up with glee. "Do you like me?" he exclaimed, causing the others to laugh at his lack of tact. If there had been any doubt before that James liked Lily, then it had been shed, as his feelings for her were now painstakingly obvious.

Lily blushed in response to the boy's question, taking her time to answer and watching with fascination as James' face became more and more pinched as he waited to hear whether his affection for her was returned or not. At last Lily opened her delicate mouth to speak, "Well, yes, James, I do like you as a friend."

"As a friend?" James roared. "I mean whether you liked me as more than a friend or not!"

Lily shrugged, faking that she had not known his intentions. "Oops, my bad, looks like you'll have to wait until next turn."

James growled under his breath, shaking his head at her antics, and vowing that he would indeed find out as soon as it was possible. Sirius, though, had other ideas, and quickly whispered in Katie's ear to pass it around that no one should ask anything of James as to block him from having another turn. Lily laughed delightedly at this when it reached her, and shot Sirius a look of gratitude. James, only just catching on to what had happened, dove for Sirius, wrestling him to the floor and seeking his own sweet revenge, much to the amusement of his friends.

* * *

Meanwhile, Severus Snape sat alone and abandoned, his lanky legs hanging off the dock over the freezing lake. Pulling his cloak tight around him, he glanced back over his shoulder, searching for his sister in the darkness. He sighed, recognizing that still she was not there, although it was already an hour and a quarter past their scheduled meeting time.

"Damn it, Hermione," he muttered under his breath, picking up a stone and chucking it out into the water, before standing to return to the castle, all previous thoughts of apologizing forgotten in his anger.

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, there's another chapter for ya, I hope you liked it! I know that Donovan's character has been a bit wish-washy, but hopefully this chapter set it in place that he really is a fairly decent guy (or is he? dun dun dunnn) and that the girls are beginning to trust him. Anyways, a huge thanks to **WeAreLoveStory** for reviewing!

Thanks,

Mischief Maintained

P.S. Please review! Please please please pretty please!


End file.
